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Polk County takes over operation of Crooked Lake Park Sewerage Company

In March 2021, Polk County Utilities was assigned ownership of the Crooked Lake Park Sewerage Company following abandonment by the previous owner, Louis Garrard. Mr. Garrard had been charged with 15 felony counts by the Florida Department of Environmental Protection related to sanitary sewer overflows from the wastewater collection system and unauthorized discharges from the wastewater treatment plant.

Polk County Utilities has hired CivilSurv Design Group, a Lakeland-based engineering firm, to assess the wastewater system and make recommendations for improvements and upgrades to the facilities.

Most of the sewer overflows and unauthorized discharges occur during the summer, immediately after heavy rain events. This is indicative of inflow and infiltration of rainfall into the sewer system. The County is working to address these issues as much as possible before the summer rainy season begins. The County will likely coordinate the system improvements with the City of Lake Wales, which recently purchased the potable water system in this neighborhood and serves wastewater customers nearby at the intersection of CR 640 and US 27.