Largo Golden Corral spills sewage into canal, closes

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A Golden Corral has temporarily shut its doors due to a sewage problem spotted by a Largo site inspector on Wednesday.

The City of Largo Code Enforcement posted the Golden Corral at 10050 Ulmerton Road as being "Unfit for Human Habitation."

Untreated sewage was found running through an illegal connection of sewage and storm water pipes from the restaurant down to the Seminole Bypass Canal, which leads to Lake Seminole.

Neighbors in Four Seasons Estates, a community located behind the restaurant and along the water, reached out to the city to have someone look into the problem.

"It was about six or seven weeks ago when I started to smell an odor. We had the same problem two years ago," said Edward Shuman, president of the resident owned community.

Shuman said in the past, he and other community leaders reported a grease trap that was flowing into the water and causing a white foam. He said the restaurant fixed the problem.

Management at Golden Corral posted signs at each entrance stating the restaurant is temporarily closing for "plumbing repairs." City officials said Golden Corral made the decision to voluntarily close while the sewage pipes are being fixed, along with another issue of wastewater found leaking on the ground underneath the restaurant.

"For the people around here, I'm pretty happy they were able to find it and they're taking care of it," said Shuman.

The temporary closure was an inconvenience for many customers on Friday who were unaware of the issue until they pulled into the empty parking lot.

"My mom is 93 [years old]. We road the care ride, arrived here and the Corral is closed. We were hungry, so I had to push her [wheelchair] across the street to Red Lobster," said one customer who only wanted to be identified as Jim.

Repair crews were working at the restaurant Friday, and the sound of drainage pumps could be heard from inside.

It's unclear how long it will take for the repairs to finish.

According to Largo code enforcement officials, if the sewage problem is not fixed, the restaurant could face fines or the city could take legal action.