Local

Residents in Eatonville “feeling vulnerable” as lost of water services continue

EATONVILLE, Fla. — People in Eatonville are experiencing a new normal with a loss of water happening twice in the past month.

>>> STREAM CHANNEL 9 EYEWITNESS NEWS LIVE <<<

Earlier this week, Channel 9 told you about a water main break that had shut down a major roadway.

A company has been laying cables and people living in Eatonville do not know what’s underground.

Mayor Angie Gardner said that part of this problem is that the pipes have never been replaced.

Read: “No protection left” after seawalls in Daytona Beach Shores ripped away by Hurricane Ian

“We do not have records of where those pipes are,” she said. “We should be replacing our pipes while they’re laying those cables. And that would have been able to happen had we had the right capital improvement plans along the way.”

Theasa Chavers is a resident who’s taking care of her veteran father.

She said that issues like this happen constantly, at least every other month.

Read: 3 women, 4-year-old girl killed in shooting inside Orange County home

“I’m just so afraid to drink the water,” Chavers said. “There’s been times when I put on the water and the water is actually brown. It smells like sewer.”

The mayor says it could cost up to 30 million dollars to replace the pipes.

Channel 9 reached out to the company laying the fiber optic cables, listed as Quarry Utility Systems, to ask about the project but could not reach anyone directly.

Read: Possible tropical system forming in the Bahamas could move toward Florida

Gardner said she also has been calling non-stop and can’t reach anyone either.

Click here to download the free WFTV news and weather apps, click here to download the WFTV Now app for your smart TV and click here to stream Channel 9 Eyewitness News live.