Polk County faces septic waste crisis as processing facility shuts down

POLK COUNTY – Polk County is facing a septic waste crisis. About 300,000 homes and businesses use septic tanks.

“Polk County is growing astronomically so we need to be prepared as its citizens to take care of our waste,” said Roxanne Groover, executive director of Florida Onsite Wastewater Association.

BS Ranch & Farm Inc., the only facility in Polk County that disposes of human waste has shut down. Now haulers have nowhere nearby to get rid of septage. It’s a problem haulers said they warned county leaders would happen.

“Well, we were here a year ago. We said this day was going to come. Here it is,” said Jeff Mann, owner of Mann Septic.

On Tuesday, Mann and several other septage haulers demonstrated outside the County Administration Building and went before the Board of County Commissioners to voice their concerns.