Fort Myers to replace rusty pipes after years of brown water complaints

FORT MYERS, Fla. (WINK)—The City of Fort Myers could soon replace water pipes in a neighborhood where residents have dealt with rusty, discolored water for years. 

 The city said it will be replacing 10 iron water lines with PVC lines.

 Richard Kaserman, a neighbor, said the water quality issues have been persistent. "We've had rust in the water, debris," Kaserman said. "They've had to flush the pipes out." 

Kaserman said residents have dealt with water that has a rusty color for years. "For a lot of the homeowners who've paid premium prices over the last few years to move here, that's really been a shock to them," Kaserman said. 

Neighbors say the City of Fort Myers partially addressed the problem in 2020 by installing filters on some homes, which the city replaces once a month. 

Kaserman said the filter on the side of his home was replaced about 10 days ago and it's already that rust color.

Other neighbors said they solved the issue themselves by purchasing pricey purification systems. 

WINK News found out the City of Fort Myers has spent nearly $700,000 replacing filters in the neighborhood.

Neighbors have been asked to attend a meeting on March 31, where the city will outline the specifics of the new work, how much it will cost, and how neighbors will be affected. 

"We pay slightly higher property taxes in surrounding areas, and it just seems like the water issues are more severe here for this neighborhood than they are for some of the surrounding neighborhoods," Kaserman said. 

The City of Fort Myers said they plan to replace the pipes in April and expects to wrap up in late May of this year.