The Seniors Working Together for Oak Run was formed as a reaction to the planned expansion of the SW Marion County Wastewater Reclamation Treatment Facility located adjacent to Oak Run. After meeting with many of the residents in the various neighborhoods and investigating the potential risks of expanding a decades-old treatment facility and collection system, we wanted to know more. The Committee has gone through numerous changes since their inception but has always adhered to and been consistent with the mission statement that is dedicated to protecting, promoting, and preserving the beauty of Oak Run. Seniors Working Together is your go-to source for current and accurate information for our current project, Marion County Florida Wastewater Reclamation Treatment Facility and the impact to the Oak Run residents. Please visit www.seniorstogetheroakrun.com (www.seniorstogetheroakrun.com)for up-to-date information, meetings, communications with the agencies involved with and participate in the common goal of keeping Oak Run what it always has been and the vision of what it should be. Please visit our website to access the email or call 352-783-2185 to report a concern or for any other reason.

Representatives from Marion County Utilities have informed the Committee that there are two phases to the expansion project. Phase I will address some of the immediate upgrades and sound/odor mitigation (please go to the Communications section for more information). Phase I is expected to take 6 to 18 months however we do not know when that time frame starts or if it has already started. Phase II is expected to take up to five years and Marion County Utilities representatives have told the Committee that Phase II is still in the design and concept stage. At this time, we have no additional information as to what has been decided, how far in the designing and concept stage they are, and what, if any, changes, additions, or modifications have been considered and/or implemented in the overall expansion plan.

It was originally established with Marion County Utilities that when an odor, noise, or other disturbance affecting the residents of the community would call the Marion County Utilities emergency call number and have to go through a series of questions with the call service personal. However, this procedure resulted in missed calls, negotiating with untrained staff, and no clear results of any of the demographics (nature of call, time of call, location of call, day of call, etc.) related to the reported call. When asked, no information was provided to the Committee regarding the effectiveness of this reporting system, and it was unclear if any call records were kept or how practical this reporting system was in locating the source of the disturbance. As a result, the Committee developed and implemented a call-in reporting procedure whereby daily calls are recorded, logged, and forwarded to the appropriate agencies including Marion County Utilities. By the ongoing monitoring of these disturbances, the Committee is able to determine if any intervention by Marion County Utilities to eliminate these undesirable characteristics is effective. Attached is the Committee's call-in reporting instructions.

According to Marion County Utilities, the Oak Run wastewater reclamation facility was purchased in 2001. https://static.wixstatic.com/media/f986bb_23989e31902142d9b4ba5980276f8fc1~mv2.png

When the Committee met the Director and toured the Southwest Marion County Wastewater Reclamation Facility in February 2025, we initially established a three-month meeting schedule. Since the initial meeting, the Committee has had another meeting at the Marion County Utilities office on April 28, 2025. At that meeting, the Committee established a more robust timeline and agreed to an update from the Director once a month for any additional information to be passed to the Committee. (Please go to the Communication tab for more in-depth information on this FAQ).