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The closure of a local facility that accepted roughly 41.5 tons of septage a year has created hardship for businesses like A&R Septic Solutions. | A&R Septic Solutions
The only facility in Polk County that accepted septic system waste — BS Ranch & Farm — closed six weeks ago.
That was welcome news for county officials, who spent years trying to shut down the operation on 300 acres east of Reynolds Road and north of the Polk Parkway. It is also a relief for Citrus Woods residents, who have complained about foul odors since late 2016.
But the closure has hurt local waste hauling companies, dramatically increasing their driving time, fuel costs and dump rates.
It has also given some homeowners sticker shock. The cost of septic tank cleanouts, which residential users typically need every three to five years, jumped from about $350 to $600 practically overnight.
By the numbers:
30% — The percentage of Florida’s population believed to use septic systems, according to the Florida Department of Environmental Protection. The rate is higher in rural areas and lower in urban ones.
160,000 — The approximate number of households in Polk County with septic systems, based on data from the Florida Department of Health.
9,183 — The estimated number of households in Lakeland with septic systems, according to Tania McMillan, the city of Lakeland’s water compliance manager. The city tallied homes in its service area that pay for electricity but not wastewater service.
238,986 tons — The amount of waste BS Ranch & Farm accepted between April 2016 and January 2022, according to a six-page Notice of Permit Renewal Denial by the FDEP.
.00093% — The portion of waste that BS Ranch converted into soil, according to the FDEP.
25 to 52 miles — How far the five nearest facilities that accept septage are from BS Ranch. Many have limits on how much waste they can accept daily, so Polk County haulers can’t all shift to the same location.
Why did BS Ranch close? The closure of BS Ranch happened abruptly, but it was not a surprise.
The Polk County Commission voted in December 2016 to allow “soil manufacturing” as a conditional use on the site, formerly used for phosphate mining. BS Ranch was granted a permit to turn yard trimmings, human waste, out-of-date foods and other biological matter into mulch, compost, fertilizer and soil.
But within months, commissioners were inundated with resident complaints about odor. BS Ranch racked up multiple code enforcement citations and violation notices from the FDEP. Some county commissioners openly said they regretted approving the facility.
Agustin Sanchez, owner of A&R Septic Solutions, said he got a phone call from BS Ranch around 4 p.m. on Aug. 22 saying the business was shutting down at 5 p.m. “There was no notice. Nothing,” Sanchez said, adding that he had to cancel all his scheduled appointments.
Agustin Sanchez, owner of A&R Septic Solutions, used to be able to do six to eight “cleanouts” per day. | Courtesy of A&R Septic Solutions
No ‘Plan B’: Several waste haulers protested outside a County Commission meeting on Sept. 3, saying they didn’t mind that the county and DEP wanted to close BS Ranch. But they were frustrated that — with years to prepare — Polk County officials didn’t identify or create an alternative.
“It doesn’t matter if they close B&S or they close Pablo down the street. I don’t care who they shut down who wasn’t following the rules. It’s the fact that all our county commissioners had nothing — no solution for septic haulers like me,” Sanchez said.
Polk County officials said last month that they plan to build a public waste processing facility at the North Central Landfill just east of BS Ranch. But engineering, permitting, construction and installation of equipment will take about two years. The earliest it would open is 2026.
Tough times for haulers: The lack of a septic waste facility in Polk County has forced Sanchez and other haulers to adjust their prices, schedules and business plans. Some are considering no longer serving Polk County. Others are wondering if they can continue to operate.
Sanchez said he used to do six to eight septic cleanouts per day. Now he can only schedule two or three, because he has to factor in driving time on Interstate 4. Instead of dumping daily at BS Ranch, he goes to Florida Biosolids in Seffner twice a week. If they can’t take his waste, his next stop is the Port of Tampa.
“I’m having to get up at 3:30 or 4 o’clock in the morning to get there and back at a reasonable time,” Sanchez said.
He added that most out-of-county facilities charge more per gallon of waste than BS Ranch did: about 14 to 15 cents instead of 9 or 10 cents. That, plus the cost of diesel and driving time, has forced all local haulers to raise their fees.
A statewide push to phase out septic: The Florida Legislature unanimously passed a bill in 2023 requiring local governments to study the feasibility of extending sewer service in the next 10 years to any community that relies on septic tanks and has more than 50 homes.
The reason is potential soil and water contamination. Advanced, well-maintained septic systems can treat wastewater almost as effectively as sewage treatment plants. But septic systems can degrade and fail, and heavy rains can overwhelm drain fields sending untreated waste into the water table.
Septic-to-sewer plans in Lakeland: The City Commission unanimously approved an ordinance last month updating Lakeland’s comprehensive plan to say:
The city will develop a septic-to-sewer master plan by Sept. 30, 2029.
The plan will include maps showing where there are high concentrations of septic systems and outline what it would take to connect them to the city’s wastewater network.
Lakeland hired a consulting firm in 2021 to assess the feasibility of septic-to-sewer conversion for six neighborhoods — Alameda Drive, Kendrick Lane, Mayflower Drive, West Robson Road, Crescent Heights and Hillside Manor.
Water Utilities Director David Bayhan said the city is about to do the same for its whole service area. The new, broader study will take about two years.
Residents of the Crescent Heights neighborhood next to Bonnet Springs Park were disappointed when a study found that it would be prohibitively expensive to connect their homes to city sewer lines. | City of Lakeland
Reality check: Although the study will be a great tool, Bayhan cautioned that there won’t be any big changes in the short term. Sewer lines, pump stations and connections are expensive, and the Legislature did not offer any funds to help cities expand their networks.
Bayhan also said that homeowners typically own the pipes leading from their houses to the city’s system. By state law, homeowners cannot replace old septic systems with new ones if there are city sewer lines nearby. But Bayhan said it would be unreasonable to ask people with working septic systems to spend thousands of dollars to switch over.
Insight Polk examines community conditions and solutions in six target areas from UCIndicators.org: economic & employment opportunity, education, housing, food security, transportation & infrastructure, and quality of life.
LkldNow’s Insight Polk independent reporting is made possible by the United Community Indicators Project with funding by GiveWell Community Foundation & United Way of Central Florida. All editorial decisions are made by LkldNow.
Cindy's reporting for LkldNow focuses on Lakeland city government. Previously, she was a crime reporter, City Hall reporter and chief political writer for newspapers including the Albuquerque Journal and South Florida Sun-Sentinel. She spent a year as a community engagement coordinator for the City of Lakeland before joining LkldNow in 2023. Reach her at cindy@lkldnow.com or 561-212-3429.
