DADE CITY, Fla. — Residents and business owners in Dade City say a foul odor has been drifting through their community for months, and many believe it is coming from a facility next to the Dade City Business Center.
Depending on the wind, people across town tell me the smell can be overwhelming.
Watch full report from Erik Waxler
"It was rancid. Smells like straight sewage," said Robert Borras.
The odor often reaches businesses in the center of town.
"It's bad enough to make you gag," Jessica Borras added.
It has also spread into neighborhoods, including the one where longtime resident Rob Kassabaum lives.
"It's a pungent, overwhelming smell," Kassabaum said.
Kassabaum grew up in Dade City and said the facility off U.S. 301 was once an orange juice packaging plant.
"Used to be some pretty pleasant smells coming out there when they were processing the oranges, and they also did coffee," he said.
But he and others say that in recent years, whatever is being done at Citrus Springs Utilities is making the air difficult to tolerate.
"You cannot enjoy your time or work outside when the wind is blowing out of the east and northeast in town," Kassabaum said.
Robert and Jessica Borras, who own American Pizza Oven, tell me the odor is not constant. But when it appears, it can drive customers away.
"The front of my building, there is a cove. It came in and lingered in there. So, if I'm coming to eat and I go smell that, I'm not going to eat here. And it has nothing to do with me," Robert Borras said.
One of the owners of the plant, Saxon Evans, said they are doing the best they can after taking over the property three years ago. Evans said the plant processes food waste, not wastewater. However, his LinkedIn page states that Citrus Springs Utilities "operates a water and wastewater utility plant."
Evans said the company has spent $1.5 million on improvements and is working openly with the Florida Department of Environmental Protection.
A DEP spokesperson said the agency is still processing a request for information about any past or ongoing investigations involving the plant.
Pasco County officials said the county’s code enforcement department is investigating Citrus Springs Utilities.
People who live and work in the area say they simply want the odor to stop.
"I guess my question is, if that smell was coming from my property, how fast would code enforcement come and raise all hell?" Robert Borras said.
Evans sent Tampa Bay 28 the following statement about the situation: "Since taking over the facility in December 2022, we have worked diligently to modernize a beverage processing site that has operated for nearly 80 years. We inherited an existing Corrective Action Plan from the prior owner and have been fully committed to completing it and implementing all requirements and recommendations from the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (DEP). We have been an open book with the DEP and continue to coordinate closely with them.
Significant improvements have been made to the facility’s ventilation, infrastructure, and handling procedures. Our odor data reflects this progress. Shortly after assuming operations, compared to our February 2023 report our recent report shows odor levels approximately 30% lower. We will continue working to further improve these metrics.
Any odors that do occur are generally associated with short term handling of food-grade beverages and organic materials the same products people consume every day. The facility does not process hazardous materials, nor does it store waste long term.
Based on all available information, we are not aware of any health risks to the community. The materials we handle are non-hazardous, and there is no indication of airborne contaminants that would pose a public health concern.
Our objective is to operate responsibly, maintain compliance, and modernize this long-standing facility to minimize impacts and serve the community effectively."
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