By SKYLA CARTERSunny Hills residents gathered at the Sunny Hills Library and Community Center on Saturday, May 9, to discuss ongoing concerns involving U.S. Water, the Municipal Services Benefit Unit (MSBU), and fears surrounding fire protection within the community. The meeting was led by Larry Lomax and Ken Attard, with Washington County Commissioner David Corbin and County Administrator Andrew Fleener also in attendance.
Lomax shared information currently known about the water system, stating there are 79 miles of aging water lines that contribute to ongoing failures. At the April Washington County Board of County Commissioners (WCBOCC) meeting, Troy Rendell, Vice President of U.S. Water acknowledged that the system requires major replacement. However, no publicly available infrastructure upgrade plan currently exists.
Lomax and Attard also presented three petitions for residents to sign. The first, titled Petition to the Washington County Board of County Commissioners: Temporary Moratorium and Infrastructure Requirements – Sunny Hills Water System, calls on the WCBOCC to place a temporary pause on new residential building permits for properties served by the existing U.S. Water system until the infrastructure is considered stable, safe, and sustainable.
The second petition, directed at the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) and other regulatory agencies, requests water quality testing at the point of use inside homes, rather than only at water plants or hydrants. Organizers cited reports of discolored water, including brown, yellow, and green water, along with concerns about water pressure, taste, and odor.
The third petition seeks to abolish the Sunny Hills/Oak Hills MSBU and return all services to ad valorem taxation. Petition organizers argued the MSBU was never intended to serve as a permanent replacement for county responsibility.
Commissioner Corbin explained that the Florida Public Service Commission (PSC), not the WCBOCC, oversees utility companies. He encouraged residents to file complaints directly with the PSC online and to attend the May 14 WCBOCC meeting to voice their concerns during the non-agenda audience portion of the meeting.
County Administrator Fleener distributed instructions on how residents could submit complaints online. He also stated that he had personally contacted the PSC regarding the matter and was informed that only a small number of complaints had been filed so far.
Commissioner Corbin further clarified that the county does not issue or regulate permits for deep wells. He encouraged residents to report issues involving lack of notification about outages or repairs, not just concerns about discolored water.
Residents also raised concerns about fire protection and whether fire departments could effectively respond to structure fires if hydrants were not functioning properly. Washington County Fire Chief Justin Barron addressed these concerns, stating that fire suppression can be provided regardless of the status of the hydrants.
“I definitely don’t have any reason presently to be concerned with Washington County Fire’s ability to provide fire suppression inside of Sunny Hills. Just the initial call for a structure fire inside of Sunny Hills would trigger response from three County departments that would be bringing a minimum of six thousand gallons of water, in most cases more. That’s outside of any water from the hydrant system itself, “ said Barron. “Our departments usually operate outside of hydrant systems in the more rural parts of our county where we don’t have the luxury of fire hydrants.”
Residents also asked questions regarding deed restrictions and whether homeowners could install private wells. Commissioner Corbin advised residents to seek legal counsel before installing wells. He also clarified that U.S. Water operates as a subsidiary of North Florida Community Water Systems Incorporated.
As residents continue raising concerns over water quality, infrastructure stability, and public safety, community members say they plan to remain active in pushing for answers and accountability from both utility providers and state regulators.
Ken Attard told residents, “We aren’t going anywhere,” while Larry Lomax added, “We simply want clean, reliable water.” During the meeting, one attendee said he had filed a PSC complaint while sitting there and encouraged others to do the same, noting, “It’s that easy.” Several residents also indicated they plan to attend the May 14 WCBOCC meeting to speak about the MSBU issue during the non‑agenda audience portion.
Ali Moreland 
Staff Report 
AMBER PATINO