DeLand, Fla,None — A group of 42 Volusia County homeowners filed a class action lawsuit against the DeLand Golf Course over ground water pollution. They say the well water at the homes is contaminated with the cancer causing chemical, dieldren.
Homeowners in the Country Club Estates neighborhood sued the golf course and Shell Chemical for $10 million in damages. The lawsuit claims the golf course used the now-banned pesticide in the 1970s.
"Who's going to want to buy a property with contaminated water," asked Gretchka Herrera, a concerned homeowner.
Nearly 53 homes in the neighborhood tested positive for the chemical. All of the homes with wells that tested positive are located on the east side of the country club off Woodland Boulevard.
The homeowners are concerned the positive tests will significantly lower their property values and make it harder to sell their homes.
"If it's between my house and someone else's they might look past mine because of the situation in my neighborhood. That's not right," said Jerry Ziegler, a concerned homeowner.
The Florida Department of Environmental Protection is investigating the Country Club. The agency also tested 68 more nearby wells for dieldrin.
WFTV
