A 53-year-old man appeared in court on Wednesday after investigators accused him of causing pollution at his 5-acre property in Miami-Dade County’s Redland agricultural area.
Orlando Suarez’s property, at 19201 SW 180 St., wasn’t connected to the sewer system and didn’t have a permitted septic system, according to a Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office deputy’s arrest report.
“The property caused pollution to the area’s water table and damaged any clean drinking water in the area by contaminating it with harmful bacteria,” a M-DSO deputy wrote, according to the arrest report.
Suarez had a mechanical area for commercial motor vehicles and six recreational vehicles that were used as living spaces that had pipes used as a sewer line that ran throughout the property, according to the report.
“The lab sample results for septic tank indicated the presence of raw sewage ... the drinking water also contained total coliform and e. coli,” a deputy wrote, according to the arrest report.
Investigators also found several burn barrels “that appeared to be used for the disposal and burning of trash,” according to the deputy’s arrest report.
Deputies arrested Suarez at 2:15 p.m. on Tuesday at the property, and corrections booked at 6:45 p.m. on Tuesday at the Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center, records showed.
Suarez faced a third-degree felony charge of willful disregard for the environment. His bond was $2,500.
Miami-Dade County Circuit Judge Michelle Ashby Delancy was set to preside over the case.
Local 10 News Assignment Editor Mercedes Cevallos contributed to this report.
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