SANFORD, Fla. — Sanford's City Commissioners called a special meeting Monday night talking about two issues, healthy drinking water, and fixing the wastewater vacuum system. 

What You Need To Know

  • Many Sanford residents came to Monday's special meeting at Sanford City Hall upset about the wastewater vacuum not being fixed.

  • Residents told Spectrum News whenever it rains they can't flush their toilet. They've also reported a foul smell in the area. 

  • Sanford commissioners voted unanimously to purchase the parts needed to fix the system.

  • The city is looking at a more permanent solution, however, no plans have been announced yet. 

The City of Sanford rushing to make a decision, all to help maintain water quality within the community. The city attorney said they needed a response between 14 and 21 days in order to make the project work. 

"We’ve been monitoring what the department is doing. We’ve been doing this for six years now. We’re making sure we agree on the way it should be done," said Jake Varns, Sanford city attorney. 

The city commissioners voted unanimously to move forward with a project in cooperation with the Department of Environmental Protection. The goal is to insure healthy drinking water for its residents.

Another topic talked about during this special meeting was fixing the city of Sanford’s wastewater vacuum system. Right now, many residents are complaining about sewage water backing up in and around their homes. Residents told Spectrum News 13 they’ve been dealing with this issue since Hurricane Ian. Every time it rains residents say they’re experiencing the same problems. They came to Monday's special meeting to tell the city they’d had enough.

"I thought we were looking to replace that system, not spend a million dollars repairing it then replace it," said Commissioner Patrick Austin.

Sanford City Commissioners talked about buying parts for its wastewater vacuum system. Something that’s been failing residents for more than three months.

“People have had back-ups in their house, toilets aren’t flushing," said Maria Shreve, Sanford resident. "I would say the frustration is that it’s been three months and we don’t have a plan." 

Shreve voiced her concerns and frustrations at Monday’s meeting hoping to get some answers but came out of the meeting with nothing. 

The City of Sanford voted unanimously to purchase the parts needed to temporarily fix the wastewater vacuum system. A project that city officials said starts at $1 million. Fixing the system completely will take months.

"I feel like they are playing Wac-o-Mole as oppose to, hey this is how we’re going to try and solve this problem," said Shreve.

Even with city leaders moving forward — Shreve still has questions.

"I just want a professional approach that outlines what their plan is, how they’re going to do it, what the cost is going to be," said Shreve.

Spectrum News 13 asked the utility support manager for an interview — but he deferred us to the city attorney. While city officials did approve of the initial repair, timelines for the repair and future replacement were not announced.