Brown, discolored water hit multiple homes throughout the Wakulla Gardens neighborhood again on the evening of Oct. 21, with residents also reporting low water pressure as the ongoing problem returned.
WATCH FULL REPORT BELOW:
Brown water returns to Wakulla County neighborhoods as residents demand a lasting fix to the recurring issue
Neighborhood Reporter Serena Davanzo spoke with neighbor Kim McCall Ruiz, who says the discolored water has been an issue for years. She says it has ruined appliances, driven up her bills from buying bottled water to drink, and forced her to invest in a water softener system to help.
“I have lots of children at my home, you know, and so I’m having to buy bottled water, you know, and it seems like our water bill has doubled. Yet, you know, we don’t have quality, and we’re not really able to use it. It has really become an issue, just with the appliances, everything. You know I can’t tell you how many coffee pots we went through,” McCall Ruiz said.
McCall Ruiz says that even with her water softening system, they are replacing their shower filters every week to a week and a half. She has even had to replace her refrigerator.
“The gentleman that took our appliance looked at it and said there was such buildup, and he said just dirt alone in in the ice maker part of it that that was a lot of the issue there. He wasn’t able to fix it,” McCall Ruiz said.
Neighbor Mary Eichler has also had multiple appliances fixed and replaced.
“We’ve gone through several different appliances, as far as our washer, I just had to have a repair guy come out today because the sediment was so stuck in the filter it wouldn’t work. So it’s just been it’s it’s not good,” Eichler said.
Eichler described the water she saw coming from her sink.
“Last night, for instance, it was black coming out of the sink,” Eichler said.
Eichler says the quick fixes aren’t enough.
“It’s just a quick fix. It’s flushing the lines or make sure that you run your water, and that’s not the solution. They have to come up with a better solution,” Eichler said.
In a statement sent to Neighborhood Reporter Serena Davanzo, Talquin Electric Cooperative said crews were conducting proactive water system flushing in the Sioux Trail area of Wakulla Gardens.
“On Wednesday, October 21, Talquin Electric Cooperative crews were conducting proactive water system flushing in the Sioux Trail area of Wakulla Gardens. As part of this routine maintenance, several valves were temporarily closed to direct water flow through the system,” the cooperative said.
The routine maintenance changed the water flow and stirred up more sediment than anticipated, causing the discoloration.
“The change in water flow stirred up more sediment than anticipated, resulting in discolored water in portions of the surrounding area. Some Members also experienced reduced water pressure during the flushing process,” the cooperative said.
Neighborhood Reporter Serena Davanzo asked Talquin whether members were notified about this routine maintenance and flushing. The cooperative said that because this work occurs frequently and is localized, providing advance notice isn’t feasible.
“Routine flushing occurs frequently in small areas throughout the system as part of ongoing maintenance. Due to the frequency and localized nature of this work, providing advance notification to Members is not feasible,” the cooperative said.
Neighborhood Reporter Serena Davanzo also asked Talquin if there was an update on the Riversink well replacement. The cooperative said it is moving forward with the Florida Department of Environmental Protection and the water management district to get the required permit and engineering plans.
Talquin says members who continue experiencing discolored water and low-pressure issues are encouraged to reach out to the cooperative at 1.888.802.1832.
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