OUC History Book

Page 34

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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