a balancing act Expanding OUC’s Water System through Acquisition The most significant change to the OUC water
Bay Hill, a prominent residential development
operations that occurred during the 1980s was
surrounding Arnold Palmer’s Bay Hill Golf
the purchase of five developer-built water system
Club, and Orange Tree, a residential/golf
plants from Orange County in 1980 and the
course community, were two of the premier
acquisition of the Dr. Phillips water system in
developments in the Dr. Phillips area
1983. Through the Dr. Phillips purchase, OUC
acquired by OUC.
added 12 square miles of new service territory
“Orlando Utilities Commission has a long
along with an established customer base and
and enviable record of good management and
existing water system infrastructure. The Dr.
outstanding service to its customers at
Phillips water system was owned and operated
reasonable rates. We are confident that the
by Dr. Phillips Utilities, a private company formed
Dr. Phillips community will be assured of the
to provide water and wastewater service to an
proper attention to their needs by the Orlando
area in southwest Orange County that started to
Utilities Commission,” said H.E. Johnson,
be developed in the early 1960s, as citrus groves
president of the Howard Phillips Fund, owner
gave way to residential homes and shopping
of all the utilities’ stock (The Times [Winter
centers. The Dr. Phillips name was linked to the
Garden], March 10, 1983).
area in recognition of a man who was a pioneer
As OUC expanded its water system,
in the Central Florida citrus industry and grew
it also had to contend with severe water
citrus on the land before it was sold to developers.
shortages that plagued the region. Orange
The newly acquired area was bordered on
County invoked a 15 percent voluntary water
the west by the Butler Chain of Lakes, on the
restriction, and the St. Johns River Water
east by Turkey Lake Road, on the north by
Management District also imposed mandatory
Conroy-Windermere Road, and on the south
water restrictions in Osceola, Volusia, Seminole,
by a westerly extension of State Road 528.
Brevard and Indian River counties.
OUC Wins Coveted Water Award In 1984, OUC won the first of many “Outstanding Water Treatment Plant Awards” from the American Water Works Association (AWWA). The award applied to all nine treatment plants. AWWA cited the OUC system for high water quality standards that exceed state and federal standards and leadership in planning, introducing and implementing new treatment and operations techniques.
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