ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. — For years one Orange County community has complained about the taste and smell of their drinking water.
They are now begging the Governor to sign off on funding that would move them closer to a permanent fix.
Orange County has been in talks for months to buy out Wedgefield’s private water provider Pluris.
The water and wastewater utility serves about 1,800 Wedgefield homes and about 6,000 people.
Orange County says years of deferred maintenance means it would cost close to $60 million just to repair the run down facility.
A bipartisan group of lawmakers including Democratic State Senator Carlos Guillermo Smith and Republican State Representative Erika Booth helped get $7.5 million in the state budget to assist Orange County with that cost.
However, that funding still needs to be approved by Governor Ron DeSantis, who has the power to veto it.
“We need him to pass this through,” said Pluris Customer Sheila Mayhew.
Mayhew is part of a group that is lobbying Orange County Commissioners to purchase the facility even though some of the purchase costs would be passed onto Wedgefield residents.
“Each homeowner in Wedgefield would face up to $100,000. In assessments over the life of this upgrade. And this is something that’s completely not affordable,” said Guillermo Smith.
Guillermo Smith said after spending months listening to concerned resident, he decided to bring a funding request to lawmakers.
Pluris customer told Channel 9 they believe this funding could make a difference as Orange County weighs whether to purchase the water plant.
County officials have been hesitant to commit to a buy-out because of possible hidden costs.
According to county officials, conditions inside the facility have deteriorated to the point where catastrophic failure of the wastewater system is imminent.
If a failure occurs, it could leave Wedgefield residents without water.
Those deteriorating conditions have been a source of frustration for customers who pay some of the highest water bills in all of Florida and approximately twice what county customers pay.
Despite historic quality concerns from residents, Pluris maintains its water meets all federal and state regulatory standards.
Pluris is currently asking for $19.5 million for the 1960s facility, but Orange County is only offering $10 million because of maintenance need.
The Governor has until July 1st to sign off on the budget.
County commissioners will discuss next steps for a potential Pluris buyout on July 15th.
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