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To the editor:
The city of Cape Coral and its citizens have spent millions of dollars paying for the Utilities Expansion Project (UEP) to convert the city's wastewater system from septic tanks to a treated wastewater system. As testified in court there are no septic tanks in the area of the city that feeds storm water into the south spreader canal. In addition to the financial cost, the citizens of Cape Coral endured weeks of inconvenience, with lawns and roads torn up for construction of the UEP.
Cape Coral has moved a long way from its original design of depending on septic tanks. With the UEP project continuing in a sequenced fashion throughout the city, Cape Coral has a plan and a goal of eliminating septic tanks completely. Cape Coral and its taxpayers have also improved and added stormwater retention ponds to release naturally filtered storm water into our canals and waterways. All of these steps have improved water quality in our city.
In addition, Cape Coral also stepped up to receive partially treated wastewater that Fort Myers was dumping into the Caloosahatchee River. Cape Coral and its taxpayers designed and built the underwater pipe from Fort Myers to Cape Coral, and we are now completing the treatment process, adding treated water to our fresh-water canals and irrigation system.
We are not the bad guys others want you to believe we are.
Prior to the first litigation against removing the Chiquita Lock, I attended the presentation, led by Michael Hannon, that Pine Island/Matlacha made at Cape Harbor Marina in Cape Coral. One of the presentations at the Cape Harbor meeting included photos of damaged mangroves, claiming they were damaged by the removal of the boat lift on the north spreader canal.
I also attended the first trial regarding removal of the Chiquita Lock and watched all five days of the second trial that was held in November/December 2023. During that second trial, one of the last witnesses from Florida DEP presented a series of photos, starting with Hurricane Charlie, then Hurricane Irma, followed by Hurricane Ian, showing healthy mangroves before each hurricane, damaged mangroves after each hurricane, followed by recovery to healthy mangroves between each hurricane. All photos had reference to specific chronological dates and were of the same mangroves.
In a letter from Greater Pine Island Civic Association (GPICA) to the Lee County Commissioners, GPICA requested funds to help pay for a conversion from septic tanks to a central wastewater system. GPICA stated there are about 5,000 septic tanks on the island and growing, including 11 package plants. About one third of the plants have received some kind of warning letter or citation from South Florida Water Management District and various other organizations, citing water quality issues and showing excessive amounts of fecal coliform, nutrients, phosphorus and mercury. Some of the estimated 5,000 septic tanks are 20 to 30 years old and do not meet the 4-foot separation requirement between water table and surface water that is needed to protect groundwater from wastewater. GPICA is trying to make others pay for their lack of a central wastewater treatment system. Maybe they should take responsibility for their own contribution to the pollution of our waterways and not try to lay the blame on the taxpayers of Cape Coral.
Since 2012 I have fished in the river, flats, and the Gulf of Mexico. Yes, I have witnessed degradation of fishing, the major cause of which was Hurricane Irma. That storm forced blue/green algae from Lake Okeechobee down the Caloosahatchee River and into our waters and the Gulf, which then mixed with red tide, a natural phenomenon of salt water, killing thousands of pounds of fish. It was not caused by the south spreader canal.
The city of Cape Coral and its citizens are not the bad guys.
We are paying our own way, executing our plan, upgrading our wastewater and stormwater systems along the way, even cleaning up a mess from Fort Myers. We shouldn't have to take the blame or assume financial responsibility for what Pine Island and Matlacha have failed to do to protect our waters.
Jim Jeskie
Cape Coral