‘There needs to be a reality check’: Orange County continues buyout negotiations with Pluris water

WEDGEFIELD, Fla. — The fight over water continues for one Orange County community.

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For years, Channel 9 has brought you the concerns some residents in Wedgefield have over their privately owned water utility Pluris.

Those historic concerns focus on water quality and costs.

According to Orange County, Pluris Wedgefield customers pay some of the highest water bills in the state, and 171 percent more than what Orange County Utility customers pay.

Read: Report reveals ‘significant deficiencies’ at Pluris water facility in Wedgefield

On Tuesday, Orange County Commissioners discussed a possible buyout and were briefed on a report that showed deteriorating conditions at Pluris’ Wedgefield facility.

The report found “corrosion, leaks, and safety issues” and noted “significant deficiencies” in the system.

According to the county, in addition to purchasing Pluris, Orange County Utilities would need to spend about $58 million on improvements to bring the facility up to county standards.

Read: Over 1,300 Wedgefield residents support ‘next step’ in county takeover of Pluris Water

The county estimates just purchasing the water utility could cost $32 million, meaning the overall buyout could cost $91 million.

“I’m concerned for these people who live in Wedgefield. Both now and in the future. I’m concerned about our county taxpayers and the county dollars if the county acquires this,” said Orange County Mayor Jerry Demings.

During Tuesday’s meeting, Demings sounded the alarm on what Orange County Utilities is calling a “lack of redundancies” in Pluris’ system, meaning there aren’t enough back-ups in place if any part of the Pluris system fails.

Orange County Utilities’ Deputy Manager Tim Armstrong told commissioners a failure could leave Wedgefield customers without water.

Read: Wedgefield community rallies support for possible county takeover of Pluris Water

He also told commissioners that despite a 32 percent overall rate hike approved in April, Pluris does not have a Capital Improvement Plan in place to upgrade the 1960′s facility.

“There needs to be a reality check,” said Armstrong, “If they want to sell their system, they need to come back with reality.”

On Tuesday, Commissioners said they want negotiations with Pluris to continue, but couldn’t commit to buying the facility given the financial uncertainty.

Commissioners also asked residents to figure out how much they are willing to pay for a possible buy-out.

At least some of the purchase costs will be passed to Wedgefield residents in the form of an MSBU or a Municipal Service Benefit Unit on their annual tax bill.

According to the county, there are 1,766 homes in Wedgefield that rely on Pluris water, and up to 6,000 people who would be directly impacted by a buyout.

But commissioners can’t move forward with an acquisition unless 67 percent of residents support a buyout and are willing to pay the costs.

A recent canvassing effort showed over 1,300 Wedgefield residents supported moving to the next phase of a possible buy-out, though those signatures didn’t decide yes or no on an acquisition.

Meanwhile, Pluris’ attorney Martin Friedman was at Tuesday’s meeting and told commissioners Pluris would be willing to offer a discount on what was initially a $32 million valuation.

Friedman also mounted a defense regarding the state of the facility and the quality of Pluris’ water.

While Friedman dodged Channel 9′s questions, he told commissioners during the meeting that Pluris water is in compliance with all regulatory requirements.

“It’s safe water. People have different ideas of what they want water maybe to taste and look like,” said Friedman, “the utility does what it needs to do to keep the utility running well and in compliance.”

Commissioners said next steps will include a series of community meetings where Pluris Wedgefield customers will be presented with options.

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