GROVELAND, Fla. – Groveland residents say they saw something unusual coming from their taps this week — dark, rust-colored water flowing from faucets in multiple neighborhoods.
“This is what it looked like. Would you drink that?” one resident said.
Steven Thornly, a Groveland resident, said the water looked severe across the area. “It’s almost like a gravy-looking color. It’s all throughout the neighborhood,” Thornly said.
The City of Groveland handed out notices recommending residents run their faucets for up to 15 minutes to flush out the murky water, but some said that didn’t work.
Stacey Cooper, a Groveland resident, said she had to flush her water much longer than the city recommended. “For me, it wasn’t just 10 to 15 minutes of flushing my water. It was over two hours of flushing,” Cooper said.
The city posted on social media that some residents were experiencing water discoloration due to routine fire hydrant flushing. City officials said that’s normal and caused by minor sediment disturbances in water lines.
But residents said the impact lingered even after the water cleared.
“Even though the color is gone, you can still smell it,” Thornly said.
Cooper said the issue disrupted basic tasks at home. “I’ve got laundry that I can’t wash. I can’t do dishes. I’m not going to let my 9-year-old child or my husband shower in that. We have to find another place to shower,” Cooper said.
Dozens of residents posted on social media, worried about whether the problem will impact their next water bill. The city’s communications director provided this statement:
“Regarding billing impacts, the city is still investigating which residents may have been affected and to what extent. Once that review is complete, we will be able to provide more information.”
Cooper said residents should not have to pay for the extra water. “They shouldn’t be charging the residents. This is the city’s issue. They need to handle it,” Cooper said.
The city says the water discoloration issue has been resolved. Officials said any resident still experiencing problems should contact the City of Groveland.