ST.CLOUD, Fla. — Since 2018, Eyewitness News has reported on brown drinking water in the city of St. Cloud and the permanent solutions that have yet to come until now.
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Friday, Toho Water Authority said it designed a multi-million-dollar project that will have a long-term solution to the water quality issues people have been seeing.
“We are in design on several pipe replacement projects in the older areas of St. Cloud and will continue to expand these based upon assessment of the piping systems. Piping replacement projects represent a multi-million-dollar investment,” said Toho Water Authority.
Construction for the project is slated to begin within the next year, and the company plans to prioritize the older sections of St. Cloud, also known as the grid.
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Before finding out about the solution, homeowners said for years, they had pleaded for help.
“I think clean drinking water for your residents is an emergency, especially when it’s been going on for so long,” said Christine Ladas-Drake.
Ladas-Drake said the resin in the water has gotten to a point where the water looks like “Iced Tea” and smells like soil.
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“I’m really at a loss because I can’t cook with this. I can’t brush my teeth with this,” said Ladas-Drake.
Last week, Toho Water Authority dug into one woman’s front yard to check the water pipes, also installing a new filter, hoping for a permanent solution.
Since October 2022, the company has taken over water management from the city and has been flushing pipes weekly. Which it said is a temporary fix for water quality issues.
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Flushing is used to remove stagnant water and sediment that may be present in the pipes.
Toho said property damage claims are assessed on a case-by-case basis. If it is determined that Toho caused damage, Toho will make restitution to the property owner.
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