SANFORD, Fla. – The city of Sanford is preparing to file a potential lawsuit against the companies it believes are responsible for contaminating the city’s water.
The Sanford Commission voted unanimously to engage DSK Law to draft a complaint to let Florida officials know the city will sue if the state doesn’t sue first. The lead attorney will be former State Sen. David Simmons. The state has 30 days to respond.
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Reports by The Orlando Sentinel brought to light higher levels of a contaminant called 1,4-dioxane in the water in Seminole County, Lake Mary and Sanford. The EPA says the compound is a likely carcinogen, used as a stabilizer in solvents and cleaners.
The chemical has been linked to a former Siemens manufacturing site on Rinehart Road that closed in the early 2000s. The facility used to make telephone parts. Any litigation could involve suing Siemens and its subsidiaries.
The city is planning to build a new water treatment plant that can better handle the 1,4-dioxane levels in the water. They hope to use state and federal funding sources to help pay for it, but as Sanford Mayor Art Woodruff told News 6 in 2023, the city also hopes to make whoever is responsible pay for it.
Meanwhile, the city says it continues to test its water for safety and has diversified its water sources to make sure levels of 1,4-dioxane stay below standards.
You can read more about 1,4-dioxane and how the city of Sanford is addressing it by clicking here.
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