A 7,000-acre tract of forest land on the far western border of Duval County has become ground zero in whether private companies can start investor-owned water utilities in areas that JEA says it has the sole right to serve.
The tussle has brought back some "JEA is ours" cries from the attempt two years ago to sell the utility, but unlike that failed effort, the issue at hand for Jacksonville City Council this time isn't a sale of JEA.
The choice facing council is whether private investors should be able to set up their own utilities in areas that JEA says it has the exclusive right to serve. JEA administrators warn that if the developer builds its own private utility for the planned 11,500 home development on the far Westside, that will set a precedent for others to do the same.
Read the rest of this story at WJCT News partner The Florida Times-Union.