CAPE CORAL, Fla --The Bimini Basin, near Four Freedom's Park just off Cape Coral Parkway, is considered one of the city's jewels. But concerned neighbors are turning to Four in Your Corner. They are pleading for something to be done about waste being dumped there overnight.
They gathered Wednesday at the beach alongside Bimini Basin. They wanted to share their concerns about what's going down at night on the water. Boats bobbing up and down on Bimini Basin, but it's what's underneath the waves that has the attention of nearby homeowners.
"Nobody has any issue with the boats being here," said Roy Borek, who moved here from Michigan. "In fact, they are really nice to look at. But, it is what they are doing we're concerned with."
Borek and others who live up and down the basin worry about waste being dumped after the sun sets.
"We've actually witnessed people throwing it overboard at all hours of the night," said Borek. "Including even kitty litter," he added.
But kitty litter not the only thing that washed up on shore after being dumped overnight.
"We have seen toilet paper floating in the water."
Borek and his neighbors waking up during all hours of the night. They have looked out from their windows to see one of Cape Coral's jewels serving as a sewer.
"The smell is terrible," said Elizabeth Louw, a resident of the Cape for the past twenty-eight years.
Four Freedom's Park and the basin is a popular attraction for families. It plays host to birthday parties, summer camps and even the annual cardboard boat race.
"There were people falling off the boats. It's a fun event, we enjoyed it. But do you want people in the water where there's raw sewage? I don't think so," said Borek.
Fox 4 took those concerns to Florida fish and Wildlife Officials about what the homeowners associations to do in order to help keep people from polluting the landmark.
"Even if they can just give us a detailed description of the vessel you know including the phone numbers and what they have seen going on. What times it is happening. Then we can station a patrol or an officer during those times to catch them in the act," said FWC official Stuart Spoede.
Boat owners should be using one of the seven pump out locations near the basin for waste removal. A little extra effort that will keep this city jewel shining.
"Is this how you treat your jewels? I don't think so," said Borek.
If you need to remove waste from a boat -- the Cape Coral Yacht Basin advised you to give them a call to set it up and they'll be ready for you. An alternative, to the fine you'd be subject to if you decided to dump the waste into the basin.
