LONGWOOD, Fla. – The sound of a concrete truck and a freshly repaired driveway are the latest signs of disruption in a Longwood neighborhood, where work to install underground fiber optic lines has led to yet another water main break — and another boil water notice for residents.
It is the latest in more than a dozen incidents recorded so far this year in Longwood connected to underground utility work, according to the city manager. In April, he told News 6 three of them were “significant.“
The most recent break happened on Bearss Circle this week, where neighbors say crews have now struck the water main three times. Two of those times, Laura Barclay says her driveway was damaged.
“The first time they hit it, it actually blew up the concrete out here pretty severely,” Barclay said. “I mean, it ruptured it. They had to come out and dig everything out. Took about two weeks to get everything back to normal.”
When it happened again, Barclay said her patience wore thin.
“The first time, I just, you know, things happen,” she said. “The second time I did lose my cool and was not very, you know, very pleasant for the type of person that I am.”
Now on another boil water notice, Barclay said the impact on daily life is hard to overstate — especially for households with greater needs.
“We’ve been on a boil water alert. I feel like sometimes we’re living in a third world country,” she said. “We can live without power, but water is definitely something different.”
Barclay said she and her family have managed by eating out and skipping laundry — but she worries about others in similar situations.
“I can’t imagine if I had young children or something that I had to care for,” she said. “If you had a lot of children, or an infant, you would be struggling to take care of your family when you don’t have clean water.”
Joanna Frommling, who also lives in the neighborhood, told News 6 the first time the water main was hit, the street flooded and the water was off for more than a day. When it happened again, Frommling said the outage lasted only a few hours — but the process was all too familiar.
“Seeing it again it was like, ‘Oh, no. Here we go again,’” Frommling said.
Messages with the boil water notice were left on doors of affected homes in the area and the city of Longwood posted the following alert online:
Due to a water main break at Bearss Circle caused by third-party utility work by WOW and their subcontractors during fiber installation, a precautionary boil water notice is now in effect for affected areas.
As a safety measure, residents are advised to boil all water used for drinking, cooking, brushing teeth, or making ice for at least one minute at a rolling boil.
This notice will remain in effect until water quality testing confirms the system is safe. Updates will be provided as they become available. We appreciate your patience and cooperation as crews work to restore normal service and ensure water safety.
NOTE: All affected areas received door hangers (physical notices) of this. If you did not receive this, and/or were not affected by the water main break at Bearss Circle, then you are not affected. Thank you.
Subcontractors working for Colorado-based WideOpenWest, known as WOW!, have caused disruptions in neighborhoods across Central Florida as they cut a path for underground fiber optics. In April, neighbors in Longwood’s Hidden Oaks community reached out to News 6 after seeing our previous reporting in Altamonte.
After News 6 reached out directly, WOW! spokesperson Andrew Walton confirmed that a subcontractor cut the water line on Bearss Circle during construction work Monday morning.
According to Walton, the onsite crew immediately contacted city officials to report the damage. The city shut off the water promptly, and restoration work at the affected property was underway and nearly complete as of the company’s statement.
“The subcontractor responsible for the cut failed to meet our standards and will no longer perform work on our behalf,” Walton said.
WOW! also outlined two additional steps it is taking to prevent future incidents. Going forward, its contractor will assign a dedicated team member to oversee each crew working in the city right-of-way. WOW! will also provide its own onsite supervisors to verify the accuracy of utility locates and conduit routes — and to ensure all special digging instructions are carefully followed.
“We apologize to the residents of Bearss Circle for the inconvenience this has caused,” Walton said. “We are committed to ensuring that contractors working on our behalf complete all necessary repairs at this site and maintain the highest standards of work in the future.”
“It’s not the city’s fault, which I understand,” Barclay said. “But it is frustrating. And you just want life to be back to normal.”
After previous incidents, the city told News 6 it is now taking a more proactive approach as well— testing water valves in any area where underground utility work is planned before digging begins.
Frommling said the latest incident did seem less severe than the first and noted crews appeared better organized, with work zone signs posted at the end of the road and crews clearing out by mid-afternoon.
“At least this time it wasn’t as bad as it was the first time,” she said. When asked if that means something is improving, she replied: “Maybe.”
Despite everything, Barclay said she supports the expansion of fiber optic internet service — and has a message for other neighborhoods bracing for similar work.
“I’m all for the options because we don’t really have an option outside of Spectrum,” she said. “I’m good with that type of growth and those options to help lower those bills.”
But she urges neighbors to go in with realistic expectations.
“Patience and expect delays,” Barclay said. “It’s not just going to be an easy process. It’s not just going to be completed in one or two days. There are going to be hiccups along the way. So, maintain a sense of humor and just keep in contact if it happens to you — make sure that you’re constantly following up so you get everything taken care of.”