LONGWOOD, Fla. \u2013 Neighbors in Hidden Oaks reached out to News 6 after they say work to install fiber optic lines in their community led to a water line break. <\/p>\n
Jesse Latzman says the first sign something was coming was crews walking through the neighborhood, placing survey markings. Then, a notice eventually came from Colorado-based WIDEOPENWEST or WOW! on a door hangar message that work will be starting soon. <\/p>\n
\u201cThings seemed to be fine,\u201d Latzman said. \u201cAnd the next thing you know, like, this is just basically destroyed and water is flowing.\u201d<\/p>\n
According to WOW!, a water line break occurred around 2:30 p.m. Thursday in an area where telecommunications contractors were preparing to run conduit in the public right-of-way. The company says the contractor quickly contacted city officials to report the leak.<\/p>\n
However, Latzman says the water ran uninterrupted for far longer than it should have.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe city couldn\u2019t turn off the valves, which created a much, much bigger issue,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
The water had nowhere to go but downhill \u2014 straight through the cul-de-sac and into the neighborhood pond.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe pond is several feet higher, but the water is just absolutely rancid,\u201d he said. <\/p>\n
A good portion of pavement disappeared in the process, and bulldozers worked through the night to dig deep enough to access and repair the water main.<\/p>\n
A spokesperson for WOW! tells News 6 that city officials shut the water off shortly before 10 PM. <\/p>\n
Latzman says crews also hit Spectrum lines during the dig. Then, around 10:15 p.m. that same night, the neighborhood lost power.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s like a hurricane, manmade, it feels like. I mean, we lost like every, every utility possible,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
Power was restored after about three hours, according to Latzman. <\/p>\n
News 6 reached out to the city of Longwood, which posted about the water main break and emergency repairs underway on Facebook. It says the entirety of Hidden Oaks subdivision remains under a precautionary boil water notice at this time. As a precaution, residents are advised to bring water to a rolling boil for at least one minute before using it for drinking, cooking, brushing teeth, or making ice.<\/p>\n
\u201cI would have loved to have washed my face this morning, but I let that go,\u201d Latzman said.<\/p>\n
His bigger concern is what may be lurking underground.<\/p>\n
\u201cWater has been moving underground,\u201d he said. \u201cThis neighborhood doesn\u2019t need these houses to have a sinkhole form because work was not properly done or was hastily done.\u201d<\/p>\n
WOW! says it is working with its contractor and city officials to obtain more information about how the incident occurred and to determine next steps.<\/p>\n
But Latzman says accountability \u2014 not just repairs \u2014 is what he is really after.<\/p>\n
\u201cI want to make sure there\u2019s accountability. That this is more or less on record,\u201d he said. \u201cPeople don\u2019t just say, \u2018Okay, we finished the job,\u2019 and then six months down the road, we\u2019ve got problems from this damage if it\u2019s not properly repaired.\u201d<\/p>\n