SANFORD, Fla. – Mysterious disks have reportedly been washing ashore at Lake Monroe, sparking concerns from local residents.
News 6 received a tip about the disks from a viewer who claimed that the “white plastic circle” disks were washing up by the thousands thanks to Sanford’s wastewater treatment facility.
News 6 on Friday reached out to city officials, who provided the following statement:
“The discs are not related to the reclaim water issues that the City’s North Water Reclamation Facility is currently working through. It is part of a treatment process at that plant that washed out during a previous incident. After the incident occurred, City staff did an initial clean up of the surrounding areas.
City staff continues to pick up the discs and clean the areas whenever they see them or they are reported to us. The discs are light plastic and are easily blown around by the wind and moved by the current and waves.
They can get ‘stuck’ in certain inaccessible areas and ‘dead spots’ where they cannot be seen. When a strong enough wave, current or wind occurs, it frees them up and pushes them to areas where they become visible. The discs do not pose a health risk.”
Richard Casella/City of Sanford
City officials didn’t specify what “previous incident” caused the disks to wash out into Lake Monroe.
On Friday, local mother Jessica discovered these odd little discs while walking with her 5-year-old daughter, Zola, along Seminole Boulevard.
“They were all up and down by the water. You could tell they washed out with the water. These little shells were everywhere,” Jessica said.
Despite the city’s assurances, Jessica remains concerned for her daughter’s safety and has advised her not to pick them up.
News 6 asked Jessica whether she thought the city should explain a little bit more.
“Yes. If we’re finding them, we should know what they are,” she said.
But this isn’t the first issue that Lake Monroe has dealt with as a result of the city’s wastewater treatment facility.
Last year, a city spokesperson told News 6 that roughly 13 million gallons of sewage spilled into the lake after a couple of incidents caused partially treated wastewater to overflow from the facility.
[WATCH NEWS 6’S PREVIOUS REPORTING IN THE VIDEO PLAYER BELOW]
At the time, city officials explained that a combination of cold temperatures and weather reduced the efficiency of bacteria that was used to break down the waste, while at the same time spurring the growth of harmful bacteria.
As a result, the facility’s sand filters — used to purify water by removing impurities — became clogged up.
The city commission was later pushed to approve an emergency health declaration due to the spill, with the city agreeing to pay $120,000 for a company to provide maintenance and repairs to the wastewater facility and the South Water Resource Center.
