According to the president of the construction company responsible for the project, approximately six months before the error caused hundreds of homes to be contaminated, Gulf Breeze officials were told that the contractor was working in a home whose sewage outflow was incorrectly connected. To the drinking water supply system. .

This error was discovered on October 18 after residents complained about low water pressure and electrical appliances not working properly. It affected the water supply of approximately 430 households between Soundside Drive 4115 and 5012, including the Nature's Cove and The Waters sub-zones and related phases. Neighboring streets.

In his first public comment on the situation, Lee Brown, president of Brown Construction Company in Northwest Florida, admitted to News Daily on Wednesday that one of his employees had been at one of Soundside Drive and Nantahala Beach Road as early as April 1. Mistakes were made near home. .

However, he also stated that Gulf Breeze received the connected image on April 2 but never marked the error.

"This was done by Brown Construction with knowledge of Gulf Breeze City," Brown said of the cross-connection that occurred.

Samantha Abel, City Manager of Gulf Breeze, told News Daily that the city will not discuss the matter while the disaster response is still ongoing. Abel said the city is still investigating the wrong facts and when the process is complete, it will submit it to the Florida Department of Environmental Protection.

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Brown said one of his employees connected a service branch-a pipe that connects the city's sewer mains to the end of the right of way near the house-to the drinking water mains of the midway water supply system. 

Water pipes and sewer mains look distinctly different. Both are 4 inches in diameter, but the water mains are white unmarked PVC pipes, and the sewer mains are black HDPE pipes. Brown said these are not the standard sizes and colors of water and sewer mains, and historically, they have been different in size and color—he attributed all of this to the wrong way.

"This will affect everyone we care about," he said. "Including the citizens of Soundside Drive, because many of them are my friends and family."

In a statement issued on Wednesday, Midway Water System stated that when one of its water pipes is opened or connected, the policy is to keep inspectors on site, but in this case, "our pipes should not be touched."

The statement read: "Therefore, the water supply system was not notified of the work in progress, so there was no inspector on site."

It was not until late September that the house’s utility services were opened and the contractor’s mistake was discovered. Prior to this, no water supply was in danger of being contaminated.

The exact date of the water service is not yet known, but Midway Water System began receiving reports of low water pressure and clogged faucets on September 25.

Brenda Agricola, general manager of the utility company, said that congestion due to cross-connects may happen very quickly, and services may even begin within the same week with the cross-connect in place.

In response to the complaint, the water company flushed the pipeline six times between September 27 and October 15, took samples for testing, and signed contracts with two plumbing companies (Certified Plumbing and Boyd Plumbing) to assist in house flushing and cleaning filter. The staff also visited the affected houses to remove materials from faucet filters, shower heads and electrical filters.

The cross-connect was finally discovered and corrected on October 18. The water company initially issued a boil water notice until last week state officials said it was not enough, instructing residents to seek alternative water supplies and open up free bottled water distribution locations.

The site of the 4115 Soundside Drive Community Living Methodist Church in Bay Breeze will be open until at least Thursday. Its time is from 8 in the morning to 7 in the evening

Since the discovery of the error, Midway Water System, FDEP, and Gulf Breeze City have obtained samples from 346 affected houses, leaving approximately 84 to be tested. Midway Water System expects the results of these tests to be announced on Thursday.

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Since it was found that the sample was not contaminated, the residents are being contacted to let them know that they have been cleared and can start drinking the water again. E. coli and coliforms in the water are being tested, which are the two most prominent wastewater bacteria.

"We are confident that most of the tests are clean," Agricola said.

Midway Water System also compensates customers for the costs associated with cleaning, repairing or replacing their internal plumbing, as well as many household appliances and faucet filters. 

If customers arrange services from companies other than Certified Plumbing or Boyd Plumbing, they should contact Midway Water System to approve their expense reimbursement before work begins.

"Midway fully hopes to recover its costs from the parties at fault, but also realizes that our customers cannot wait long to get drinking water at home again," the press release said.

Agricola said that Midway's customers can't wait to wait for potential litigation and liability hearings to obtain new equipment and clean water.

"We have to keep going. This is water," she said.