Sunrise Village mobile home park fined for wastewater discharge into Johnson County creek

Owners of a mobile home park near Iowa City have agreed to pay an $8,000 fine after multiple violations since 2020 for discharging wastewater into a tributary of Snyder Creek, which feeds into the Iowa River.

Havenpark Management also agreed to build a new wastewater treatment facility for Sunrise Village, at 2100 S. Scott Blvd., by Aug. 31, 2025, according to a Nov. 17 consent order.

Havenpark, based in Utah, was criticized in 2019 for buying mobile home parks, including some in Iowa, and increasing the rent anywhere from 24 percent to 69 percent.

The Iowa Department of Natural Resources inspectors visited Sunrise Village’s wastewater treatment facility Aug. 5, 2020.

“During this inspection the Department documented that Sunrise Village had not yet connected to the City of Iowa City’s sanitary sewer system and the effluent limits contained in the NPDES permit were not being complied with,” the consent order states.

The National Pollution Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) sets limits for how much pollution may be discharged into public waterways. The DNR issued a notice of violation Aug. 11. The agency has cited Sunrise Village three times since: Jan. 1, 2021; April 4; and June 24.

The penalty amount was based on whether Sunrise Village owners received economic benefit by the discharge, the severity of the situation and the culpability of the owners for the discharge. The maximum administrative penalty is $10,000.

“A significant economic benefit was obtained by the Sunrise Village by delaying the cost of upgrading its WWTF (Wastewater Treatment Facility),” the order states. “The economic benefit is estimated to be substantially higher than the amount the Department can collect via an administrative consent order.”

Earlier this year, Havenpark bought two other Iowa City mobile home parks — Lake Ridge and Modern Manor — for a combined $33.5 million.

The company noted in an Oct. 26 letter to the DNR it is planning for the new treatment facility to handle waste from both Sunrise Village and Modern Manor. Havenpark told the DNR Iowa City would not be annexing the neighborhoods, which eliminated the option of connecting to the city’s sewer system.

The Gazette reported on Havenpark acquiring Western Hills Mobile Estates in Coralville for $7.5 million in October 2019. At the time, the company also owned Golf View Mobile Home Court in North Liberty, Sunrise Village in Iowa City and West Branch Village in West Branch, plus parks in Huxley, Indianola and Waukee.

Comments: (319) 339-3157; erin.jordan@thegazette.com