WINTER SPRINGS, Fla. — After brownish water started coming out of faucets Monday in the Oak Forest community, questions about water quality in Winter Springs are being asked again.

The Oak Forest subdivision was issued a discoloration of water notice shortly after the discovery.

Resident Morgan Sill said she noticed the brown water while she was doing a load of laundry.

“I turn on the washer machine and it’s this red-brown water, and it gets worse and worse,” she said. “You almost can’t see through it by the time it’s full.”

Sill wasn’t the only resident impacted — she said her neighbor across the street told her their water looked like chocolate milk.

City leaders said ongoing construction and maintenance damaged two of the city’s fire hydrants. According to the city’s utilities director, Bilal Iftikhar, the discolored water was caused by iron and sulfur that was knocked loose in the lines.

However, since the lines never lost pressure, he said a water boil notice was not needed.

At the Winter Springs City Commission meeting Monday, Iftikhar said maintenance had not been done on the hydrants in a few years.

On Wednesday, Winter Springs Mayor Kevin McCann explained why the city was behind on hydrant maintenance.

“Loss of a city manager, loss of a deputy city manager, not having a utilities director, turnover at the city,” he said. “Unfortunately, it has caused a lot of problems.”

Seminole County Fire Department officials said 2020 was the last time Winter Springs submitted hydrant inspections.

“We had been doing some, but we are behind," McCann said. "We need to do more."

The City Commission will have a vote to approve a contract for the maintenance to get done in March.

According to McCann, when the hydrants get their maintenance done, it is possible other residents could see the brownish water come out briefly.

The cost of maintenance for the city's more than 2,000 hydrants is expected to top $50,000.