Untitled Document

Wilma was the storm that wasn't supposed to happen. Rather than passing over the Everglades from east to west before hitting Marco (Andrew in 1992), or proceeding offshore up the coast (Charlie in 2004), Wilma came straight at us out of the Gulf. She hit as a Category 3 hurricane with winds in excess of 111 mph BUT WE WERE VERY LUCKY! Wilma moved through extremely fast with little rain and minimal storm surge. A Category 3 hurricane is usually accompanied by a storm surge of 9 to 12 feet, but Wilma was mostly a wind event. Power lines and trees went down, cages were destroyed, roof tiles went flying, but there was no flooding! Nonetheless, our present sewer system did not escape unharmed.

City Manager, Bill Moss, and City Utility Director, Rony Joel, would have you believe that Wilma did not cause our sewer system to fail. This simply is NOT TRUE! Pump trucks were called from remote areas to move sewage from failed lift stations to the central plant or to major lift stations as they were slowly brought back on-line. On Thursday afternoon, more than three days after the hurricane and well after power had been restored, I spoke with a Project Manager from Cloud 9 Services in Orlando. He and his assistant were pumping the lift station at the corner of Barfield and Wavecrest when I spoke with him. He told me that "all the pumps on the island had burned out and had to be replaced." He had recently come from Gulfport, Mississippi where the same thing happened so he knew what he was talking about. I brought a news reporter from the Sun-Times to interview the Cloud 9 Manager (see below) and I provided the Sun-Times with pictures I had taken of the pumpout but it didn't make it into the paper.

I brought this subject up at the November 1 Special Council Meeting called in the aftermath of the hurricane. Rather than admitting that the island had a problem and it was taken care of, Mr. Joel claimed that the sewer system hadn't failed, that there were dual pumps in each lift station so that the backup could be used if the primary failed. The only "problem" he admitted to was that the City lacked enough generators to keep the pumps running during a power outage. The City may have lacked generators and perhaps the City should buy more ... but the problem on Thursday was NOT a lack of generators. POWER HAD ALREADY BEEN RESTORED! Mr. Joel misled the Council and the public with his statements!

Well, perhaps he didn't mislead the Council; I was verbally attacked by one council member for bringing up the subject and gaveled into submission by the Chair. I was simply trying to ascertain what Mr. Joel's definition of the word "failure" is because if this did not constitute "failure" I don't know what would! C.A.R.E.S. compliments Mr. Joel at handling the situation promptly and successfully by calling in the pump trucks. But, C.A.R.E.S. does not compliment Mr. Joel for his lack of candor! Nor would we compliment Mr. Joel if he had not been able to arrange a fleet of pump trucks. Suppose Wilma had traveled up the coast, flooding other cities, all of whom would be calling for pump trucks at once. Suppose the entire city had been sewered and we needed 5 dozen trucks instead of 2 dozen. Suppose the expected 9 to 12 foot storm surge had occurred and flooded the central sewer plant. Would we be so happy with our new sewer system then? Residents in New Orleans, Gulfport, Mississippi and Beaumont, Texas weren't so happy! Nor were those in Fort Myers last year or in Everglades City this year.
(Click here http://www.abc-7.com/Articles/readnews.asp?articleid=4814&z=2&p for a link to the ABC-7 Everglades City story.)

Unable to learn the answer at the Council Meeting, I sent an e-mail to Mr. Moss on November 18. It is reproduced below:

Dear Mr. Moss:

CARES takes considerable effort to check the facts behind the literature we use on our website and in our flyers. Since there seems to be some confusion about the events surrounding our sewer system during and after Wilma, I'd like to have the matter cleared up. Could you please provide answers to the questions listed below? Most are straightforward and should not require extensive research.

1) How many lift stations are there on the island at present? How many will there be at build-out?

2) How many of the present lift stations are self powered?

3) How many can be powered by an external generator?

4) How many lift stations malfunctioned during and/or immediately after Wilma?

5) What was the primary cause of the malfunction, e.g., electrical control malfunction, pump burnout, etc.

6) Was there a secondary cause and, if so, what was it?

7) How many pump trucks were used to transfer waste to the sewer plant or to a working major lift station?

8) For how many hours were these trucks in operation?

9) Were pump trucks still required after power was restored to the island and, if so, why?

10) What did the pump-truck operations cost?

11) Will the present lift stations be brought up to current code during the proposed sewer expansion?
12) How much power is used at the waste-treatment plant and does it have permanent auxiliary generators to power it during outages?

Rather a lengthy list, I'm afraid, but the questions are quite straightforward and should be answered easily.

Thank you for your attention to this matter.

Sincerely,

Ed Foster

Chairman, CARES

P.S. My compliments to you, Rony Joel and the crew for organizing a successful and rapid response to Wilma and saving us from a damaging spill. Thank God we didn't have the same experience as Everglades City!

Dear Mr. Foster:

Chapter 119, F.S. provides to our citizens the right of access to inspect and copy existing records. It does not require that a municipality create new records to accommodate a request for information, or give out information from the records. Some information requested below may be ascertained by reviewing public records. Please advise as to the public records you wish to inspect, copy, or be furnished a copy (at $0.15 per page). Extraordinary research may involve additional costs.

Bill Moss

Evasion and coverup! Marco citizens have a right to know how safe our present sewer system is and how safe the proposed system will be. We were lucky with Wilma; we didn't experience the flooding that occurred in Gulfport Mississippi and our lift stations didn't overflow ... but they didn't work either! C.A.R.E.S. has been told that two dozen pump trucks were employed 'round the clock moving sewage from the lift stations to the plant. The City will neither confirm nor deny that. Demand the truth! Call, write or e-mail the City Manager and each Councilmember and ask what happened after Wilma.

C.A.R.E.S. is the only organization that stands between you and the possibility of an overflowing lift station in front of your house. C.A.R.E.S. is the only organization that stands between you and lift stations in your front yard! C.A.R.E.S. is the only organization that stands between you and construction debris and traffic congestion for the next 7 to 10 years. C.A.R.E.S. knows there is a better way to preserve our waters. Our suggestions need to be heard and evaluated. We need your support to stop this freight train! Send a contribution to:

              C.A.R.E.S.
              P. O. Box 1847
              Marco Island , FL 34146

Prepared by Citizens Advocating Responsible Environmental Solutions, Inc. (C.A.R.E.S.)