Urgent repairs have been recommended to safeguard homes located on a pond in The Villages.
Five metal stormwater pipes need to be repaired at Basin 5-17, better known as the Ashland Pond.
“Two of the pipes are located directly between private residences and must be repaired as soon as possible,” according to Director of District Property Management Mike Harris. “Present conditions are a public safety risk as the pipes may fail and lead to ground depressions and/or collapse without warning.”
The total cost of the repair, including landscaping, is $565,523. The companies selected for the work are Atlantic Pipe Services and Hardscapes of Central Florida.
The project will be paid for through the Project Wide Advisory Committee, which is funded by assessments paid by residents south of County Road 466, as well as residents of Community Development Districts 12 and 13 south of State Road 44.
Homeowners living near the pond in the Village of Ashland have been complaining about conditions at the pond. Last year, an Ashland resident said the pond looked like a “garbage dump” and said he believed gasses coming off the pond were making his respiratory illness even worse. At one point when the pond had been lowered, birds came in to feast on dead fish.
The repair work is expected to begin in February 2025. The pond will be drained and the pipes will be cleaned. Then liners will be installed to bolster the structural integrity of the pipes.
“This repair will ensure the integrity and functional operation of the Villages stormwater management system and prevent potential damages to public and private properties,” Harris said.
The work will take four to six weeks to complete.
