Days-long water main break drenches Sanford school area, residents react

Sanford water main leak complaints, city responds

A FOX 35 viewer reached out, voicing concerns about a water main break at an elementary school in Sanford that he says isn’t getting fixed. The water main leak – which Johnson said he reported to the city months ago – has been saturating the ground of a local school for days. Sanford said they heard about the water main leak at Hamilton Elementary on November 26 and blocked it off that same day.

SANFORD, Fla. - Sanford residents are voicing safety concerns after a water main leak by a school went without repairs for days. 

What we know:

A FOX 35 viewer reached out, voicing concerns about a water main break at an elementary school in Sanford that he says isn’t getting fixed. The water main leak – which Johnson said he reported to the city months ago – has been saturating the ground of a local school for days. 

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Rod Johnson says his son – who attends Hamilton Elementary School – has autism and has a tendency to take off running. Johnson is worried about his son slipping and hurting himself on the concrete.

A FOX 35 viewer reached out, voicing concerns about a water main break at an elementary school in Sanford that he says isn’t getting fixed. 

Johnson said he reached out to the City of Sanford around two months ago to complain about the leak. The City says they have no record of it. 

"I was told I would be contacted back and I never heard anything back," Johnson told FOX 35 Reporter Marie Edinger.
That’s why he reached out to FOX 35, he said. 

"It went from just being a trickle in the grass barely flowing out onto the sidewalk to where now it's flowing water going down the streets," Johnson said. 

Sanford responds

What they're saying:

Sanford said the leak "appears to be reclaimed water," – meaning it is treated wastewater for watering lawns.

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Johnson said he found that news especially disconcerting, especially after a year of citywide concerns about changes in residents’ water bills.

A FOX 35 viewer reached out, voicing concerns about a water main break at an elementary school in Sanford that he says isn’t getting fixed. 

"We pay good money to have that water cleaned and decontaminated for them to just be dumping it," Johnson said. "They want to raise our utility bills, but it doesn't seem like the customers are getting any value for their money."

Sanford said they heard about the water main leak at Hamilton Elementary on November 26 and blocked it off that same day.

The city of Sanford was seen addressing a water main break on Dec. 2. 

The Thanksgiving holiday delayed the utility locate tickets they needed to get before they could excavate, the city told FOX 35's Marie Edinger. 

The City expects to get clearance for their ticket on December 3, and says they can address the leak after that.