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Companies differ on hydrants

Five hydrants have water pressure problems. Who should fix them, the utility or the developer?

By PHIL DAVIS
Published October 20, 2005

NEW PORT RICHEY - The water is Lindrick. The pipes are Lexington.

So which company is to blame when firefighters find unacceptable water pressure at fire hydrants?

Joe Borda, owner of Lindrick Service Corp., said Monday that his private water utility can't be held responsible for pipes not yet officially accepted into its system.

Peter Pascucci, vice president of land development for New Port Richey-based Lexington Homes Inc., agreed the pipes currently are his responsibility, but said he can't vouch for water pressure.

"Whatever's in the line, that's what's going to be there," Pascucci said Wednesday.

City Manager Scott Miller is undeterred by the chicken and egg issue.

He blames Borda.

"He's responsible," Miller said. "It's his service area. It is his responsibility to be a responsible water provider and that includes supply and pressure."

City Attorney Tom Morrison is less certain.

"There are a lot of technical issues being raised that I don't know the answers to because I haven't been dragged into it," Morrison said. "You have to start at the source and trace back to find where the problem is. If the system is providing adequate pressure, then it is the developer's problem. If the lines are in place, then it is Lindrick's problem."

A month ago, the city sent Borda a letter giving him until Friday to fix problems with five hydrants in construction areas of Sea Forest Beach Club and Gulf Harbors Villas. Four hydrants had pressure low enough to make firefighting difficult; one didn't work at all. City code requires full firefighting capability at hydrants before construction begins.

On Tuesday, the hydrants again caused a stir. Pressure in the Lindrick system dropped due to construction workers' "unauthorized flushing," said Pamala Vazquez, a spokeswoman for the Florida Department of Environmental Protection. Several residents complained. The pressure drop was not low enough to require a precautionary boil water notice.

Pascucci said Wednesday that workers are working through a final checklist before asking Borda to accept the construction site pipes into his network, which serves about 2,500 homes in the Gulf Harbors area west of U.S. 19 in Holiday and New Port Richey.

"If the city sees something that's not right, they need to go to the developer," Borda said. "It's very simple and very basic."

But city officials point to a long history of complaints about the Lindrick system, ranging from major outages to low water pressure at peak usage times. Lindrick is facing a DEP lawsuit for connecting unauthorized wells to its system.

Miller said he isn't sure what action he will take next. But he said he has to act on behalf of city residents who rely on Lindrick water.

"He's got a problem with his existing service area," Miller said. "If that problem exists now, is it going to get any better with any kind of new development? I don't think so."

[Last modified October 20, 2005, 01:20:19]