Inglis weighs fourth well, $1.27M state loan after months of discolored water
Town leaders say nothing is final, but a deeper well and state financing are on the table as residents report black slime, clogged showerheads and rising bills.
A town’s water troubles, and a loan application in motion
Inglis town leaders are weighing a proposed $1.27 million state loan to address months of water-quality complaints, with a fourth well among the options under discussion, according to WCJB TV20. Officials stressed at a recent meeting that no decision has been made, the loan could fund repairs to the town’s existing wells or pay for new construction, and either path would still require test wells and aquifer inspections before anything moves forward.
The town currently draws water from three wells, some dating to the 1990s. Officials said a fourth, deeper well could hold up better against Florida’s weather conditions than the aging infrastructure now in place. But that option, like the repair alternative, remains contingent on findings from upcoming test drilling.
What residents are reporting
The discussion comes after residents have spent months describing discolored water and fixtures fouled by sediment. Ralph Walker, who has lived in Inglis since 1999, told WCJB that water quality was reliable for years, “we’ve always had excellent water,” he said, before conditions changed recently. He described “black slime coming from my faucet collecting around the drains,” a toilet bowl that “has to be washed every other day,” clogging showerheads and cloudy ice cubes. “It’s a mess,” Walker said.
Other residents at the meeting pressed town officials on why explanations for the problem have shifted over time, according to the station’s reporting. Daniel Bopp, another resident, said the town should “just fix it” so people can finally get “clean water that we’ve been longing for for months.” Frustration also centered on rising water bills that residents say have climbed without a clear fix in sight.
Timeline and what comes next
Town leaders said the recent meeting advances the state funding application process, though the scope of the project, repair versus new well, has not been locked in. Officials indicated the plan could still change as test wells and aquifer data come back. Construction on whichever option is chosen is projected to wrap up in May 2028, meaning residents should not expect a quick resolution even if the loan is approved and work begins soon.
Why it matters beyond Inglis
Aging well infrastructure and water-quality complaints are not unique to Inglis, and the town’s experience offers a preview of questions other small Nature Coast utilities may face as 1990s-era wells reach the end of their expected service life. A state loan process like the one Inglis is pursuing typically requires documented need, engineering review and public meetings before funds are released, steps that can stretch a project’s timeline even when officials agree quickly on a direction.
For now, Inglis residents are left waiting on test results and a funding decision, with a solution that town leaders acknowledge could still shift based on what the aquifer inspections show. Florida & Cedar Key News will follow the loan application and any test-well findings as they become public, including whether the Florida Department of Environmental Protection or another state agency formally acts on the funding request.
No comment period or public deadline tied to the loan application was specified in the reporting; residents with concerns about water quality or billing can raise them at future town meetings as the process continues.