An estimated 450,000 gallons of sewage spilled near LaBelle’s wastewater treatment plant, according to the Florida Department of Environmental Protection, leaving residents and environmental experts concerned about its effects.
Scott Cooper, a LaBelle resident whose home is near the affected creek, described the differences he’s noticed following the spill.
“I wouldn’t describe it as a sewage odor, but it was an off odor. There’s a milky film in the creek and some brown residue, deeper down in the water,” Cooper said.
“It is concerning. I don’t know how I feel about the fact that we’re starting to be in the rainy season. One way to look at it is the rains will flush it out, but our neighbors, to the west, the people in Fort Myers, Lehigh and Alva are going to be the recipients of whatever gets flushed out of here,” Cooper said.
Experts with the Calusa Waterkeeper say it’s too early to know if all that waste is heading towards the Caloosahatchee, but cite potential large-scale implications.
“This was an enormous spill. This was really the biggest one I’ve been aware of over the past 7 or 8 years, including places like Tampa and Sarasota,” said John Cassani, Calusa Waterkeeper emeritus.
He added, “The impacts to the ecosystem could be huge, could cause fish kills, could trigger an algae bloom. In addition to the human public health issues. It’s a smorgasbord of problems. Everything from public health to ecosystem degradation.”
The city of LaBelle stated that the wastewater accidentally flowed through a drainage ditch. Officials said the spill was stopped immediately, the system was repaired, and cleanup efforts are currently underway.
Neighbors along the Gulf Coast, not just LaBelle, have spoken out about their concerns too, having homes near other creeks themselves.
“When you go and put everything in pipes and ship it to a wastewater treatment facility, then if there’s harm, it’s all coming out from that single source. So, you’ve got 450,000 gallons coming out of one pipe going into one creek and headed to the Caloosahatchee River,” said Dr. Nora Egan Demers in San Carlos Park.
“I hope it’s a wake-up call. I hope it makes people understand how important it is to maintain these facilities and to guard against disasters like this,” Cooper said.
The city of LaBelle says they are working with multiple agencies on cleanup efforts.
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