LEE COUNTY, Fla. -- People want things to return to normal as they try to recover after Hurricane Irma came through.
“We got hit real hard,” said Maxine Packard, outside her Lehigh Acres home. “There’s still people out here with no power, no water, nothing,” she added.
Packard just one of many people out in Lehigh Acres who rely on well water. “Our most difficult part, even more so than being without power was being without water,” said Adam Moore, who lives just across the street from Packard.
Some want to make sure the flood waters didn’t contaminate what their families drink. “We had a little bit of a problem with the smell of the water,” said Packard.
The Florida Department of Health in Lee county advised people in homes with private wells to turn to bottled water. The department suggests to boil the water if you wanted to use tap water.
Moore listened to this advice while he prepped for Hurricane Irma’s arrival. “We managed to gather quite a bit of water,” said Moore. “We got 14 packs of water, 10 jugs of water, and a number of separate water bottles,” he added.
The Florida Department of Health will test your water for free until September 28th. You can drop off samples you want tested at the Lee County Environmental Lab on Danley Drive in Fort Myers.
Collier County is also offering free testing for residents whose private wells were flooded. You can pick up and drop off water sample bottles at a station in the parking lot of Max Haase Community Park on Golden Gate Boulevard in Naples. Staff will be at the park from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. weekdays through Thursday, September 28th.
