Letters to the Editors

County should help clean up our water

© St. Petersburg Times, published April 9, 2000

Editor: I would have thought that a representative of our county commissioners would have been at the PSC meeting March 29 where residents were asked to show cause for Aloha to clean up their act (water).

This time I am sure that the commissioners know that industry is unhappy with the quality of water they are receiving from Aloha and that their equipment is being damaged. We have had the Committee of 100 trying to excite industry to move to Pasco County, and I am sure that if industry hears the report that was given at the PSC meeting, they would never move to that area.

In addition to this water problem being harmful to industry, the paper reports that the customer base affected by these problems was 8,527. I do believe that number is probably substantially higher, and in the interest of protecting the residents of Pasco County, someone from the commissioners' office should have been there to report the type of water and service the customers receive.

Water is a precious commodity, and I feel that our federal, state and local government should be responsible for making sure that we all receive clean, healthy water. The best thing that could happen is to revoke the franchises of the utilities and have the county government take them over. When profits are a motive, rest assured the customer is a secondary consideration.
-- William Bauer, New Port Richey

No water for newcomers

Editor: Pasco County has a water shortage! Now a California developer, Del Webb, wants to build another 5,000 homes. Where are they going to get this water? From you and me!

Pasco County Commissioners should invoke a moratorium on all new home building until we solve the water problem.

Pasco County residents first, before new development.
-- John Johnson, New Port Richey

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