FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Chad Denney, Lee County Utilities, (239) 694-4038 OR
Patty DiPiero, Lee County Utilities, (239) 479-8534

FORT MYERS, Fla. (November 10, 2004) - Starting on November 15, 2004, Lee County Utilities (LCU) will be receiving water from the City of Ft. Myers. The City of Ft. Myers uses free chlorine to disinfect their water, which is different from LCU, which uses chloramines.

Due to an abnormal hurricane season, the LCU North Lee County Water Treatment Plant time schedule has been delayed. Until this project is complete, LCU will be interconnecting with the City of Ft. Myers. This will provide LCU with additional flexibility to ensure adequate potable water to LCU customers.

Customers may notice a change in taste, odor and color of the water. The change is temporary and harmless. However, some customers should take special precautions. Those customers are:

Anyone using a kidney dialysis machine at home should contact the equipment supplier so proper filtering equipment may be installed.

Owners of tropical fish or other aquatic animals should contact a tropical fish store for ways to pre-treat water used to replenish the tanks.

Approximately 4,200 metered residences and business will be affected by this disinfection process change.

AREA AFFECTED:
All of Lee County customers from Veronica Shoemaker Blvd. east to the FP&L Power Plant on State Road 80 (Palm Beach Blvd.), north to the Caloosahatchee River and south to Martin Luther King Jr, Blvd.

Lee County Utilities will notify the public once the interconnect with the City of Ft. Myers has been closed and the use of chloramines has resumed.

For questions or concerns, please call 694-4038 or 479-8534.