November 2, 2007
Dear Water Well Contractor,
Please assist me in protecting our future in the water systems business in Marion County. The Marion County Commission is considering adopting the Water Protection Plan which will, in time, put us out of business. The plan can be read on line at www.marioncountyfl.org look under the Landscaping Standards Public Hearing Oct 31 and Nov 20th. Go to page 7 under table 8-11 and you’ll find a paragraph entitled Irrigation Water Sources. Read it and you will clearly find that this plan requires mandatory connection to a county system and abandonment of the private well. This is for irrigation and they want to use potable water for irrigation and of course meter it. It will cost a homeowner between $800.00 to $1000.00 to abandon their private well and they will have to buy a water meter for $850.00 plus labor and re-piping. Then a monthly bill that will continue to increase.
This is all done in the name of conservation and protecting the aquifer. They fail to tell the public that they are using the same aquifer and that we already have regulations from two State Water Management Districts plus the DEP and County Health Department. Another ordinance will not help conserve, all it will put many people out of business.
Please email or write your commissioner and express your opinion on this matter, don’t accept the “That is not what we intended” argument, the facts are, that is what is being written and years down the road intentions will not be remembered. I am enclosing a draft letter, please do not use it verbatim, but it is furnished just as a fact sheet, give your opinion in your own words.
I am personally meeting with the commissioner that represents where I live, I also will be on WOCA 1370 Thursday at 10am and I encourage you to listen in as well as your employees and their families. The next meeting on this issue will be Nov. 20th at 6pm at the Commission office 601 SE 25th Av.
Together we can make a difference!!
Carl Wood
