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Residents press Washington County on Sunny Hills water outages and brown water; US Water outlines limits on repairs
Summary
Residents described repeated outages and discolored water in Sunny Hills and urged the county to pause new connections; Troy Rendell of US Water said the company is a contract operator, blamed aging mains and PSC cost‑recovery rules for limited capital investment, and acknowledged communication and flushing improvements are needed.
Residents of Sunny Hills told the Washington County Board of County Commissioners that chronic outages, foul and discolored water and frequent main breaks have left families without reliable drinking water and prompted calls for the county to intervene.
"Why is there no temporary pause, no moratorium on new connections in Sunny Hills until the utility addresses its capacity and reliability issues?" asked Kenneth Attard during the public comment period, urging the board to halt approvals that add homes to a system he described as "severely antiquated and already failing." Several other residents confirmed recent outages and said they routinely avoid drinking tap water.
Troy Rendell, vice president of US Water Services Corporation, told the board that US Water is a contract operator, not the owner, and that the Sunny Hills system is privately owned by a different company. Rendell said the system has experienced "about 7 to 8" main breaks so far this year; when pressure falls, sediment in aging PVC mains can be stirred up and cause discoloration, requiring flushing and, when pressure drops below 20 psi, Department of Environmental Protection‑required boil‑water notices and two days of follow‑up testing.
Rendell described two broad options: (1) replace mains — a multi‑million‑dollar undertaking that would likely raise rates — or (2) have a governmental entity buy the system so that it could access grants and replace lines. He said Florida Public Service Commission (PSC) rules currently limit the portion of main replacement investment a private operator can recover, which reduces the operator's ability to invest proactively.
County officials and the county attorney said they would pursue improved communication and documentation: commissioners asked US Water to provide more timely notifications to customers, and to make DEP water‑quality and boil‑water reports more readily available to residents and the commission. The county attorney noted a buyout provision exists in the franchise agreement but warned the county does not now have a utility department or staffing to operate an acquired system and that any purchase and overhaul would be a long, multi‑grant project.
Residents raised additional short‑term requests, including credits for customers who pay for bottled water or higher bills during contamination events and clearer rules on whether private wells may be installed where public service is available. The county agreed to contact the Department of Environmental Protection for clarification about private wells and to continue discussions with US Water, the private owner and state regulators.
The commission took no formal legislative action at the meeting to halt new connections; instead, members directed staff to obtain DEP reports, improve public communication and continue exploring long‑term options including potential governmental acquisition and grant funding. The county asked US Water to provide weekly updates on repairs and communications while longer‑term options are evaluated.
