Maricopa County is ordering a Phoenix condominium complex to clean up raw sewage after residents complained the waste has been pooling outside their homes for weeks.
On Friday an inspector notified management at Autumn Park Condominiums near Bell and Cave Creek roads they had 24 hours to fix the issue, according to Maricopa County Environmental Services spokesman Johnny Dilone.
"If they didn't have the sense of urgency, hopefully, they will now," said Jeremy Walk, who filed a complaint with the county.
"I'm a family man, I've got little ones that live here -- my neighbors have little ones -- it's completely unacceptable," he said.
ABC15 saw and smelled the sewage near the front gate of the complex. Walk said the problem started around a month ago, with the waste flowing over a walkway and pooling into a grassy ditch. He and other neighbors said they worried about the health of their families.
Carolyn Gowen, condominium association president, said they called out multiple plumbers once they were made aware of the issue.
"I can empathize with [residents concerns] because I, personally, can even smell it when I go to get my mail," she said.
Gowen, however, does not believe there was ever a health risk to people nearby and that maintenance workers were sweeping and sanitizing the area on a daily basis. She said the complex was required to follow a bidding process for the repair work planned for Tuesday.
"We're trying the best we can and working within the laws of the condominium," she told ABC15.
Dilone said an inspector would revisit the area by Monday to verify repair work is completed.
