Reporter: Brinkley Hill
•9/4/2026
LEE COUNTY, Fla. (WINK)—3rd-party contractors have repeatedly damaged water, sewer and internet lines in a Lee County neighborhood, forcing residents onto multiple boil water notices and leaving some without stable internet service.
Joe McMasters said Tillman Fiber cut his Quantum Fiber line Monday. Quantum laid a temporary line the same day, but Tillman Fiber returned Tuesday and cut the temporary line again while also breaking a water pipe across the street.
McMasters and his wife work from home for out-of-state companies, making reliable internet essential.
"We can't go into the office when it's down. I got to the point where I had to get a backup internet just to make sure it's stable," McMasters said.
The McMasters have been placed on two different boil water notices due to broken water lines in their neighborhood. McMasters described one incident where contractors broke a water main on Crest Lane.
"They cut our water main right over here, and it was gushing out. Don't know why they did it. It was a dude with a shovel just slamming down and broke it. I mean, you have to put some real effort into it to break that line," McMasters said.
Within two days of the Crest Street break, a second water main was broken on Ellington Street, keeping the McMasters on a boil water notice for all of last week.
"Very frustrating," McMasters said. "Very frustrating. We had a lot of dishes backed up."
Another neighbor on Aldridge Avenue said a third-party company drilling for Tillman Fiber went through his sewer and water lines. The damage backed up his shower and put him on a boil water notice.
He said two water pipes have been broken on Sunrise Avenue and three on Aldridge Avenue. He called the project a nightmare.
Lee County Utilities said it is aware of the situation and shares the frustration of the community. The fiber installation has created ongoing challenges, according to Lee County Utilities.
Lee County Utilities said crews have been on-site in the community 22 times this calendar year for water and sewer repairs. The county is billing the contractor as appropriate.
Tillman Fiber said it, "takes the safety and integrity of the communities where we operate seriously. We are reviewing the incidents, including whether they are associated with work being performed on behalf of Tillman Fiber, to ensure we have a complete and accurate understanding of what occurred. We remain committed to operating responsibly and minimizing disruption in the communities we serve."
WINK News reached out to T-Mobile who's reviewing neighbor concerns, other third-party contractors have not responded.
