FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. – Fort Lauderdale Mayor Dean Trantalis said a Florida Power & Light subcontractor repairing electrical lines near Fort Lauderdale Executive Airport damaged a 42-inch water main Wednesday, which led to customers in Fort Lauderdale and neighboring municipalities being without water service Thursday.
Local 10 News has since learned that the subcontractor responsible for hitting the pipe with an underground drill is Florida Communication Concepts, which is based in Wellington.
The company's president, Timothy Hicks, told Local 10 News investigative reporter Jeff Weinsier on the phone that he had no comment on the incident before hanging up.
Records show the company only became incorporated in the state of Florida in March.
The company doesn't have its own contractor's license but works under another person's license. It's called a qualifier, and it is legal in Florida.
Weinsier called the qualifier, Al Valdes, who was in Cape Coral.
Valdes said the incident occurred on private property, no permit was required and the line was not marked. However, Trantalis said the incident occurred on the property of Fort Lauderdale Executive Airport.
"We are aware of the situation in Fort Lauderdale where a third-party contractor struck a water main near the Fort Lauderdale Executive Airport while working on a Florida Power & Light Co. construction project," FPL said in a statement. "We are investigating the incident and working with the city to respond."
As part of the project, Florida Communication Concepts apparently did have a survey of what was underground.
The company has no complaints against it with the Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation.
Trantalis said the subcontractor has been cited for Wednesday's incident.