Residents in North Fort Myers community frustrated by repeated water shutoffs from construction

Residents of Island Vista Estates in North Fort Myers are facing repeated water shutoffs and water quality concerns due to construction work damaging main water lines. “These contractors are coming in and they're dropping these new homes, and they're hitting the water main and they're breaking them,” said Shirley Ethier, a resident of the community. Ethier said the disruptions have made it difficult to manage her daily life. “I'm trying to cook dinner. You know, my kid's going to be home from school in a couple hours. I got to wash dishes. You know, I got things I got to do,” she said. She added that the ongoing construction has caused so much damage that she now has to prepare for unexpected water shutoffs. “We do try to keep bottled water around, baby wipes, hand sanitizer. It's gross. All I wanted to do when I clocked out of work yesterday was take a shower. You know, I was like, I want a shower, and I couldn't, and it's terrible,” Ethier said. Other residents have also raised concerns about the water quality. “Sometimes it has kind of a strange smell, but that's very rare, and afterward it comes out fine. But I don't use it for cooking,” said Amada Rosales, another resident, speaking in Spanish. In a statement, Equity Lifestyle Properties, which owns and manages Island Vista Estates, said the water lines were damaged by vendors removing old homes to replace them with new ones provided by the Lee CARES program. The company noted that this is the seventh time such an incident has occurred this year. The company also said they value their relationship with Lee CARES and apologized for any inconvenience caused to residents. Ethier believes more precautions are needed to prevent further issues. “I think before they expand any further, they definitely need to get a team in here and go house to house, and whatever houses do not have a shutoff identified before they start to dig and tear down another home,” she said. In addition to the water shutoffs, neighbors have also reported dirty water and flooding caused by the main breaks. Lee CARES is currently looking into the issue. DOWNLOAD the free Gulf Coast News app for your latest news and alerts on breaking news, weather, sports, entertainment, and more on your phone or tablet. And check out the Very Local Gulf Coast app to stream news, entertainment and original programming on your TV.