OSCEOLA COUNTY, Fla — For generations, residents of the historic Whitted neighborhood have lived with contaminated groundwater tied to a landfill that once sat behind their homes.
For Jessica Paul, the issue is personal. She has spent her entire life buying bottled water for drinking while relying on the neighborhood’s water for other household needs.
Now, residents who thought they were finally nearing the end of the long-running problem are being told they may have to wait even longer.
Paul has been fighting for clean water in the Whitted neighborhood for years. When we first introduced her in 2024, she was hopeful that a solution was finally within reach.
But new documents show the timeline for bringing clean water to the community has been pushed back.
Previously, Osceola County planned to have the water project completed by 2027. The latest timeline now lists December 2028 as the expected completion date, with the design phase extending into what was previously expected to be the project’s completion year.
That delay comes as testing continues to show elevated levels of contaminants in at least one neighborhood well.
A recent letter from the Florida Department of Environmental Protection to residents shows elevated levels of cancer-causing chemicals and arsenic-related compounds in the well that was tested.
Water filters have also been installed along Paul’s street, but she says they have not solved the underlying problem.
“All we want is clean water,” Paul said. “Like we’ve been fighting for this for so long.”
Paul said her family does not drink the well water, instead relying on bottled water. But residents still use the water for bathing and showering, meaning they continue to have contact with the contaminated water.
She also said residents have struggled to get consistent updates about the project.
“I have to reach out to them to get updates on different things,” Paul said.
Osceola County secured $1.45 million in state funding and another $850,000 in federal funding to help bring clean drinking water to the community.
County officials told Channel 9 that while millions of dollars have been secured, additional funding was still needed. Officials also said some of the delays are outside the county’s control.
For residents like Paul, however, the latest timeline means another two years of waiting.
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