Water back on in Copperas Cove manufactured home park, but system under continued scrutiny

By LYNETTE SOWELL

Cove Leader-Press

By the afternoon of Thursday, Sept. 15, water services had been restored to the Cedar Grove Manufactured Home Park in Copperas Cove, after residents had been without water for more than 48 hours due to a cease and desist order.

The cease and desist order came on Sept. 13, when an inspection by the City of Copperas Cove revealed an active sewage spill. Both the local office and the parent company, Westwind Enterprises, based in San Jose, California, received notice that the water to the community would be turned off, “despite previous warnings to you and your assurances that the source of the discharge would be repaired and the discharge eliminated. This has been an ongoing violation.”

On Friday, Sept. 15, the City’s Public Works and Code Compliance Departments issued a consent order to the park.

Although water continues to flow to the park's residence, the park itself isn’t out of hot water just yet.

"The Public Works and Code Compliance Departments will continue to monitor, inspect, and stay on top of this situation,” said Kevin Keller, Director of Public Relations for the City of Copperas Cove.

As per the consent order, requirements for continued water services at Cedar Grove are that it must install a functional second lift station pump within 10 days, make repairs to the lift station building within 30 days, install of an emergency contact sign within three days, and prepare and submit an Engineering Certification confirming compliance within 90 days, or prepare and submit design plans to abandon the existing lift station and make a direct gravity connection to the City's sewer collection system within 45 days.

“As you can see, there is still work to be done, which City staff will continue to monitor for progression and compliance."

CGMHP has a wholesale water purchase and sewer treatment agreement with the City of Copperas Cove for its residents, and the park’s sewer collection system has had ongoing issues.

According to records released by the City of Copperas Cove, a sewage leak had been reported as far back as January of this year, when the city had received a report of a sewage discharge on Jan. 14, 2022.

The city’s MS4 compliance inspector said after being notified of the discharge, he went to the park that day and asked the manager and assistant manager about the discharge, and the two said they weren’t aware of one.

However, when talking to a park maintenance employee, he knew of the discharge and showed the inspector where the sewage was discharging.

“It was located off Cedar Grove Dr and an 8” cleanout was open. Sewage was discharging slowly down to the drainage ditch. The maintenance employee said he would add powdered chlorine on the sewage,” the report stated.

At that time, both a septic treatment company and a plumber were dispatched to the area to resolved the issue.

Last week’s water interruption was due to sewage discharging into a nearby waterway that is part of the city’s municipal separate storm sewer, also known as an MS4 system. The reason for the sewage spill was the park’s lift station failure.