‘Like I want to scream’: Lehigh Acres woman living with raw sewage ‘nightmare’ as utility and management clash

LEHIGH ACRES, Fla. (WINK) — For Claire Stewart-Riney, her rented condo in Lehigh Acres is her "little haven.” It’s where the walls are adorned with images, proudly displayed, of her years modeling in New York.

It’s where she keeps her mother’s ashes and has almost every shelf full of photos of her children and relatives.

But since February, the place she’s called home for over 7 years she said has turned into a nightmare of rising wastewater and unbearable odors.

"How would anybody feel to get up day and night and smell raw sewage and have to clean it?" Stewart-Riney asked, gesturing toward the "brown stuff" that has filled her shower and drenched her floors. "Raw sewage is no joke. Beside the smell, it is toxic."

It’s been even more challenging for her due to a blood disorder she suffers from called Sickle Cell Anemia, which she said causes her chronic pain. She just got out of the hospital last month, she believes the stress of the situation put her there.

Click here to view the full letter

The situation reached a breaking point this week as the Florida Department of Health (DOH) stepped in, issuing an official notice to the condo association and its management company Pro Management Realty. Following an investigation, the state confirmed that wastewater was discharging onto the ground from an uncapped sewer. The DOH has ordered an immediate repair and cleanup within 24 hours or the association will face legal action. Stewart-Riney showed WINK Investigates pictures of the sewage running through the parking lot Friday, a day after the letter was sent.

“The Blame Game”: Infrastructure vs. Maintenance

While the health department's order targets the condo association, the dispute over who is actually responsible for the failure remains a dispute between Stewart-Riney’s landlord, Pro Management Realty and the Florida Governmental Utility Authority (FGUA).

John Giddens, representing Pro Management Realty, claims the issue is clearly rooted in a failing municipal system. According to Giddens, plumbers have repeatedly used cameras to prove that the blockages exist on the "city side" of the pipes, meaning FGUA’s side of the sewer system.

"The plumbers can only run their auger lines so far and then they are into the city pipes," Giddens said in an official statement. "Through extensive investigation, it has become apparent that there is an underlying issue related to the municipal sewer system... the problem persists further down."

Giddens further alleged that FGUA’s response has been "insufficient," claiming that despite joint site visits and video evidence, the utility has repeatedly blamed the building’s internal plumbing.

FGUA Responds: "Functioning as Intended"

The FGUA, however, tells a different story. In an official statement, the utility noted that the property has a "documented history of issues occurring on the customer side" and claimed they were never provided with video footage from the plumber showing the blockage originated from its side of the sewer system.

"The service mains in the immediate vicinity of this property were cleaned in 2025, and no deficiencies were identified at that time," the FGUA stated.

While the utility initially attributed the backups to private pipes, they did confirm that a recent blockage was found in the main sewer line. Crews have since cleared that obstruction and the FGUA maintains the system is currently "functioning as intended."

Despite their stance that the system is adequate for the area’s density, the FGUA is planning significant "proactive measures" starting next week:

• April 6: Removal of trees and median curbing to access lines.
• April 14: Excavation of lines to ensure long-term reliability.

A Community Under Pressure

Marilyn Castner, a Board Member of the condo complex who experienced similar issues in her own building that were repaired, says the management company is trying to fix the problem but keeps hitting roadblocks with the utility. "Somebody’s got to take accountability and pay the bill," Castner said.

For residents like Stewart-Riney, the technical explanations and the finger-pointing provide little comfort. Between the physical toll of her anemia and the financial strain of her current living situation, she feels trapped.

"[I feel like] I want to cry, like I want to vomit, like I want to scream," she said. "I hate to be so bloody financially challenged."

While the state’s 24-hour cleanup order may provide temporary relief from the surface discharge, the long-term solution rests on whether the FGUA’s upcoming excavation reveals a deeper failure in the 1960s-era infrastructure—and whether Stewart-Riney's "haven" can ever be truly clean again. FGUA said it’s confident the infrastructure can support the growing area.

In a statement it said, “While the infrastructure in this area may be aged, the FGUA continuously evaluates system performance and confirms that the existing collection system currently maintains sufficient capacity to manage and treat wastewater flows within Lehigh Acres.

In addition, the FGUA maintains an active Capital Improvements Plan and is progressing with planned expansions to the Lehigh Acres wastewater treatment facility to support future growth and ensure long-term system reliability.”

Below is Gidden’s full statement:

 “Since assuming management, we have experienced multiple plumbing backup incidents, beginning with concerns identified at [REDACTED] Joel Blvd and now with [REDACTED] Archer St which are on the same sewer system. Through extensive investigation, it has become apparent that there is an underlying issue related to the municipal sewer system. The Florida Governmental Utility Authority (FGUA) has been made aware of these concerns on numerous occasions; however, responsibility has repeatedly been attributed to the building pipes and systems. In early Feb this year, Travis with United plumbing met with US Water representative Christian Maroti at the building in regards to the old pipes of this area that are failing and need to be updated, replaced. They ran cameras in the sewer systems showing back ups on the city side, still yet to be resolved

Management, along with Board Member Marlyn Castner and Travis w/ United Plumbing, has worked diligently to address and resolve these matters. We have communicated repeatedly with FGUA’s representative, Danuta Lizotte, requesting cooperation and assistance. While there have been limited responses, efforts to fully investigate and resolve the issue have been insufficient. 

At one point, we coordinated a joint site visit between our plumbing contractor and an FGUA representative to review the situation firsthand. Despite these efforts, the problem persists. Every time there is an issue, we have responded by sending plumbers out to temporarily fix the problem at a cost to the association every time a problem arises, one that still remains a problem due to the city's back up in the pipes. The plumbers can only run their auger lines so far and then they are into the city pipes..the problem persists further down as plumber Travis with United explained to me.

We maintain comprehensive records, including emails, correspondence, invoices, and service reports documenting all actions taken.”