Residents of The Meadows mobile home park in Monticello, Minnesota, say raw sewage has repeatedly leaked beneath their homes and across their lawns, weeks after the site was fined nearly $14,000 over earlier wastewater violations.
Neighbours described foul odours, toilet paper and faeces left on the ground after a pipe began discharging dirty water in one resident’s garden. Some also raised concerns about sewer gas, which they said had created an unpleasant and potentially hazardous environment.
Stephanie Pula, who lives at the park, said the smell was particularly strong. “It’s a very strong gas. It’s also highly explosive,” she said.
Ed Berner, who has lived at The Meadows for more than a decade, said he found sewage running across his grass several days before the report. “It was spilling all over. I’m actually probably standing on spots where the sewer water was running,” he said. “There’s still feces in there, there’s toilet paper.”
Residents complain of delayed repairs
Residents said they had struggled to get a response from the landlord and property managers after reporting the leaks. Pula said messages and emails were often read but went unanswered.
She also alleged that a manager told her a plumber would arrive within two hours, only for her to discover after contacting the plumbing company that the appointment had been arranged for the following morning.
Pula said clean-up work had been inconsistent, while Berner argued that temporary repairs would not resolve the underlying problem.
“It’s going to happen again unless they address the actual real problem, which is further down the line,” he said, suggesting that more extensive excavation could be needed.
The Meadows was fined over earlier sewage discharges
The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency fined The Meadows $13,957 in March 2026 after investigators found that less than 50 gallons of untreated sewage had been discharged on to the ground in two incidents, on April 26 and June 4, 2025. ([pca.state.mn.us](https://www.pca.state.mn.us/news-and-stories/monticello-mobile-home-park-fined-almost-14000-for-wastewater-permit-violations))
The agency said the park had been given 30 days to correct the problem but took 134 days to complete the required work. The corrective measures included submitting a sewer maintenance plan and carrying out routine cleaning of the collection system. ([pca.state.mn.us](https://www.pca.state.mn.us/news-and-stories/monticello-mobile-home-park-fined-almost-14000-for-wastewater-permit-violations))
The latest complaints have raised fresh questions among residents about whether the underlying drainage problem has been properly addressed. The landlord’s response to the allegations was not included in the report.
