Sunny Hills residents speak out on water issues during commission meeting

Residents filled the Washington County Commission meeting room on Thursday, April 16, to raise concerns about ongoing problems with the Sunny Hills water system, citing issues with water pressure, discoloration, and repeated outages.

The system, which serves the Sunny Hills area, is a privately owned utility regulated by the Florida Public Service Commission.

Several residents addressed commissioners during public comment, describing what they said are persistent issues affecting daily use.

“The system is without a doubt unreliable, producing foul, discolored water, experiencing lots of outages,” Kenneth Attard told the board.

He also questioned continued growth in the area.

“Why is there no temporary pause… on new connections in Sunny Hills until the utility addresses its capacity and reliability issues?” asked Attard.

Rick Yenter also voiced concerns, sharing he had no water as of the morning of the meeting.

“We’ve had multiple outages… and I just don’t think it’s—we’re kind of tired of it,” said Yenter.

Sunny Hills resident Les Lumpkin said the issue has continued over time.

“This has been going on for years… that’s a testament to the weak infrastructure that we’ve got right now, ” said Lumpkin. “We’ve got contaminated water… my filters… are chocolate brown after 30 days of use.”

Another resident, Jim Futch, said he no longer drinks the water at his home, citing a lack of trust in its safety. 

Patty Broom also addressed the board, raising concerns about private wells.

“US Water appears to be concerned with loss of revenue,” said Broom.

She also raised concerns about the quality of water coming from household faucets.

Troy Rendell, Vice President of U.S. Water Services Corporation, spoke on behalf of the system, explaining the Sunny Hills utility is part of a larger entity.

“The Sunny Hills Utility is not owned by US Water… [it] is part of a larger corporation called North Florida Community Water Services.”

Rendell acknowledged recent issues, including an outage earlier that day. He said much of the system’s infrastructure dates back decades, resulting in frequent main breaks. Rendell explained that pressure drops can stir up sediment in the lines, causing occasional discoloration in the water. He noted that replacing aging mains would be costly, estimating the project could total millions of dollars and lead to higher water rates. Rendell added that treated water meets all regulatory standards when it leaves the plant, saying, “The water leaves the plant clear…it meets all DEP standards.”

Commission Chair David Pettis said the county recognizes the concerns but does not have a clear solution.

“We understand the importance of this… we don’t know the exact answer.”

County Attorney Clay Milton said he was not aware of a county ordinance prohibiting private wells. He also noted that state agencies discourage wells where public service is available.

“DEP does not want you installing private wells if public water is available,” says Milton.

Milton also said a county takeover of the system would not be simple.

“It’s not as simple as just saying we’re going to buy a system,” said Milton, adding that the county does not currently operate a utility department.

Concerns about the Sunny Hills water system were also discussed at a prior county workshop, where Commissioner Griffin and Commissioner Marquez brought the issue forward for discussion.

Commissioners said they will continue discussions with the utility and state agencies as concerns are reviewed.

Residents were encouraged to report ongoing issues and stay involved as the situation develops.