Sewage Scandal Settlement: Homeowners Awarded $2M After Sunrise Beach Operator Dumps Sewage Into Lake

CAMDEN COUNTY, Mo. — Five years after a Sunrise Beach sewage treatment plant was found dumping waste into Lake of the Ozarks, homeowners impacted by the situation have prevailed in court.

On February 1, 2024, a jury issued eight verdicts in a civil lawsuit, resulting in a total award of $2,125,000 for the plaintiffs. Additionally, court fees totaling nearly $20,000 were ordered by the judge.

The 2019 violations, uncovered in a collaborative investigation by LakeExpo and KY3, led to multiple infractions for the Village of Sunrise Beach. Public Works Director Brian Scheiter, exposed for pumping raw sewage on a hillside that flowed into the Lake, was relieved of duties by the end of January 2020. The village then enlisted Lake Ozark Environmental to take over plant operations.

The legal journey began on March 19, 2020, when homeowners filed a petition against defendants Brian Scheiter and the Village of Sunrise Beach. Circuit Judge Kenneth Hayden concluded the case on March 7, 2024.

In all eight verdicts, the jury favored the plaintiffs' claim of City negligence. While Sunrise Beach prevailed in two nuisance claims (Verdicts D & G), the total judgment awards are as follows:

A - Robert and Susan Ferugson, $286,057.69

B - Michael and Kristy McGinley, $286,057.69

C - Michael and Melissa Lawhead, $408,653.85

D - Jeffrey Gebhart, $143,028.85

E - Neal and Monica Seemayer, $286,057.69

F - Thomas and Wendy Vander Well, $286,057.69

G - Timothy Vander Well, $143,028.85

H - Jamie and Kelly Aikey, $286,057.69

In November 2023, Sunrise Beach received nearly $4 million from the Missouri Department of Natural Resources to expand its wastewater collection system, with the project's estimated completion by May 2024.