St. Cloud’s Whitted Historic Community receives nearly $2M for clean drinking water

ST. CLOUD, Fla. — Residents in the Whitted community near Narcoossee are excited about finally getting clean drinking and bathing water after a $1.45 million legislative appropriation from the State of Florida marked a significant milestone in a commitment to provide safe, reliable water.

▶ WATCH CHANNEL 9 EYEWITNESS NEWS

The project would fund Osceola County to design, permit, and construct an extension of the City of St. Cloud’s potable water system to provide residents providing clean drinking water.

Since May, crews have been working to sample and install additional monitoring groundwater wells after local activists pushed for clean water in the community.

Read: OPD updates LGBTQ+ ‘safe place’ markers to be even more inclusive

“Building a community requires a collective effort, and we are grateful for each person who contributed to this endeavor. Their commitment to unity and cooperation has enabled us to create a thriving community”, said Jessica Paul, a community Advocate.

The funding will transition 52 residents from contaminated wells to a safe, modern, potable water system from the City of St. Cloud.

The site sits in the middle of a predominantly black neighborhood, settled by black families during the post-Civil War Reconstruction period. It has maintained its heritage through generations and endured rapid development.

In March, Congressman Soto secured $850,000 in federal funds to meet the estimated project cost of $2.3 million.

Read: Man charged with brutal rape, attack of Orange County woman faces jury

“This is going to help with their water quality and to help with their main, and from there, we have another project we’re working on this year. You have some amazing local activists like the Paul family who really stepped up to make sure this community flanked in Narcoossee by a lot of newer developments doesn’t get left behind”, said Darren Soto, United State Representative for the Ninth District.

Osceola County told Eyewitness News that according to a lease agreement signed in 1964, the site was used as a sanitary dump that lasted until the mid-1970s.

The site has been vacant, and since, the dumping has stopped. The county said the remnants of the vile have been left in the pipes and drinking water of residents.

Read: ‘This is crazy’: Local woman says HOA continues to charge a late fee for 20-cent mistake

The county said in 2022, the state Department of Environmental Protection tested the soil and groundwater, and from the tests, the Department of Health said levels of arsenic and perfluoro octane sulfonate (PFOS) in some of the wells posed a health risk to residents if they use the well water for drinking and other purposes like cooking and making baby formula.

Since 2022, the county said it has looked at grants, but the community continued to grow and, with the census tract, it did not meet eligibility requirements until recently.

The county said the current wells do not provide adequate water volumes for firefighting purposes, posing a significant risk to the community. The project also should reduce insurance rates and enhance firefighting capabilities.

When completed, the Toho Water Authority will operate and maintain the system for the City of St. Cloud.

Click here to download our free news, weather and smart TV apps. And click here to stream Channel 9 Eyewitness News live.

©2024 Cox Media Group