To the editor:

Cape Coral is notorious for its water issues but there is another issue that warrants discussion, retrofitting plumbing in old Cape Coral houses.

I discovered the problem while attempting to wash my hands in the summer while in an old house that had apparently had the water supply pipes relocated into the attic. I don’t know if this strange practice occurs throughout Southwest Florida or if this is just typical in Cape Coral but here’s the problem with retrofitting.

I turned on the cold water faucet and near boiling hot water came out. I quickly pulled my hands back to avoid injury because the water temperature was the same as the roof of the house, over 100 degrees. I was shocked and then disgusted that this ridiculous practice is allowed in Lee County.

If it is typical to put supply water pipes in the attics of Florida homes, what does this say about the caliber of local government in Cape Coral, Lee County and the contractors who would offer such a “fix?” Is it really typical to replace plumbing in Florida homes by abandoning pipes from under the house to installing these pipes in the attic – in Florida – really? Does anyone have any foresight into potential problems or has the intense Florida sun fried their reasoning ability?

Buyers beware because most of Cape Coral is a retrofit since Cape Coral is unique in its lack of planning which necessitates retrofitting in just about every aspect of Cape Coral. This retrofitting is why you will see nice homes of size next to rundown concrete boxes. Cape Coral could have been modeled after the lovely Columbia, Maryland, which was developed by the Rouse Company where every detail was addressed. Check out: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Columbia,_Maryland to see how a well planned community should be developed. I bet you won’t find one incident where a house in Columbia has water supply pipes in the attics.

Laura Berben

Cape Coral