WAKULLA COUNTY, FL — Residents of Wakulla Gardens have again experienced brown, discolored water — and they want more than a temporary fix.
WATCH FULL REPORT BELOW:
Brown water returned to multiple homes in the Wakulla Gardens neighborhood Monday evening. Neighbor Beverly Jackson said that while the water was running clear Tuesday morning, there was still sedimentation, similar to a jar of water she had saved from the last brown water event.
"I would turn my water on, and it would be all brown and nasty like that water right there, yeah. If you shake that up, it'd probably be nice and brown, like yes, like it was," Jackson said.
The issue has been ongoing for months. Since first reporting on the problem in early April, Neighborhood Reporter Serena Davanzo has met with multiple neighbors, spoken with Talquin, and watched independent water tests be conducted.
Because the problem keeps returning, many residents have turned to bottled water and jugs for drinking, cooking, and even watering pets — adding to their monthly expenses.
"People that live in this neighborhood are on a pretty well fixed income. Everybody, you know, two working parents, usually kids that go to school, they can't afford a lot, and when you start adding up, you have to buy bottled water just to drink, to make your coffee with, to cook with. Then, if you've got pets, you can't give them that, so you not only have to pay for water from Talquin, you got to go buy water, which is expensive," Jackson said.
Jackson added that rising costs make the added expense especially difficult.
"I too live on a pretty well fixed income, but when you are trying to pay your bills, and you have to buy extra things like water, lots of water. It's because water is not, it's not cheap," Jackson said.
Neighbor Kristyn Hallowell said the financial burden goes beyond just bottled water.
"That is not an okay product for anyone to sell, and it's a commodity that we are not only forced to have in our house, paying Talquin, but also paying for sewer disposal with the County of Wakulla, and on top of that, we're also buying bottled water and bagged ice, so we're triple time paying for water," Hallowell said.
Residents also want the root cause identified and addressed.
"There has to be a source to the problem. I mean, if something is broken, they need to find where it's broken and fix it," Jackson said.
In a statement, Talquin said the discoloration is caused by naturally occurring iron and manganese drawn from the Floridan Aquifer. The utility said crews are actively flushing the lines and will continue until water clarity is fully restored throughout the system.
Talquin's 2025 Drinking Water Quality Report, sent out in June, states that water tested between Jan. 1st and Dec. 31st, 2025, was not in violation of the maximum contaminant level.
Beyond flushing, Talquin said it is also working on longer-term improvements to the system, including:
- Installation of advanced filtration systems at wells to significantly reduce iron and manganese levels before water enters the distribution system.
- Addition of mixers in elevated storage tanks to prevent stratification and improve overall water quality consistency.
- A new production well recently brought online, with another well currently under construction, to increase capacity and enhance long-term water quality.
When asked whether these projects represent the permanent solution neighbors are seeking, Talquin said it is in the process of that.
"A permanent long-term solution is actively in progress. The most effective long-term fix is bringing additional wells online. This will reduce the load on our current well (and its filtration system) and give us better overall control of the distribution system," Talquin said.
Neighbors said they appreciate Talquin addressing the issue in the moment but are pleading for a permanent fix. Residents experiencing brown water are encouraged to report it.
***This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.***
Want to see more local news? Visit the WTXL ABC 27 Website.
Stay in touch with us anywhere, anytime.
