A well-constructed hot tub can last 20 years or more in the right conditions. If they’re maintained and kept in good shape through constant repairs and proper upkeep, they can be a great investment.
But not if they happen to be near a growing sinkhole, like the one in Florida.
A sinkhole that appeared in a Florida neighborhood a week or so ago is growing larger, having already destroyed two homes in that time span. Just this last Wednesday, the hole grew a little bit larger and swallowed a hot tub.
But officials are asking residents not to panic.
“This is not a time for panic,” Kevin Guthrie, Pasco County’s assistant administrator for public safety, said. “We have somebody out here monitoring this sinkhole, monitoring the expansion. We will let people know in plenty of time that they need to get their stuff together and be ready to go. When we say, ‘Now is the time to leave.’ It’s time to leave. It’s not time to pack things up.”
Residents of two additional homes have been warned that they may need to evacuate their homes and the neighborhood at the current rate. The residents have been instructed to pack their belongings, and with good reason.
The sinkhole’s edges are expanding outwards as there is no support for the sandy soil as it begins to dry out, officials state. So far, the measurements of the sinkhole are 235 feet wide and 50 feet deep, and it grew an additional 10 feet wider in the last few days.
Five homes near the site have been evacuated, and engineers are looking for possible solutions to fix the problem. The power has been restored to at least one of these homes and the homeowner will soon get word if they will be allowed to return.
It has been recommended that anyone living within 500 feet of the sinkhole should switch to bottled water to avoid an infection with E. Coli. This comes despite testing that proved that none of the 20 water wells nearby have been infected, but the city is worried that results could change.
There will be retesting in 17 of the wells for signs of contamination soon.