Winter Springs, FL – 4/10/2025– In a major win for the people of Winter Springs, Veolia has formally notified the city that it will cancel its contract to operate the municipal water and wastewater system. The move comes after years of mounting pressure from residents concerned about water quality, rising rates, and the company’s troubled performance.
Notably, the Veolia contract included an evergreen clause—meaning it would have automatically renewed unless either party chose to terminate. While the City of Winter Springs took no formal action to end the arrangement, Veolia’s cancellation sends a powerful message about the sustained public demand for change, even though Mayor McCann had recently stated he wanted them to bid to renew.
“This is a real victory for residents,” said Jesse Phillips, founder of the Winter Springs Water Quality Initiative. “For too long, people have felt ignored—facing unsafe water, rising bills, and a total lack of accountability. The fact that the contractor canceled the agreement themselves is a clear sign that the pressure worked.”
Years of Public Concern and Inaction
Since Veolia took over operations in 2019, Winter Springs residents have experienced:
- Frequent boil water notices
- A major fish kill incident linked to a wastewater spill
- Strong chemical smells and discoloration in household water
- State and federal violations tied to testing failures and infrastructure decay
- Steep increases in water rates with no clear improvements in service
Despite millions in payments to Veolia each year, residents saw little response to their concerns from City Hall.
A Community That Wouldn’t Back Down
What followed was an unprecedented show of civic engagement. As part of the Winter Springs Water Quality Initiative, residents launched petitions, organized meetings, testified before the city commission, and filed public records requests to uncover the truth. Their message was consistent: the status quo was unacceptable.
A recent citywide survey confirmed this sentiment, with strong majorities expressing distrust in city leadership’s handling of the issue and opposition to renewing Veolia’s contract.
“This is what democracy looks like,” said Phillips. “Persistent, principled community action made this happen.”
Turning the Page
With Veolia exiting the picture, Winter Springs now faces an opportunity to reset its approach to utility management. Advocates are calling for open, competitive bidding, performance-based contracts, and full transparency in future vendor agreements.
“Now is the time to raise the bar,” Phillips said. “We’ve seen what happens when there’s no accountability. Let’s make sure the next chapter puts residents first.”