Appeals Court revives lawsuit claiming Miramar water damaged home plumbing

A Florida appeals court has revived a lawsuit filed by Miramar residents who say the city’s improperly treated water corroded the plumbing in their homes — a ruling that allows the case to move forward after it was previously dismissed.

In a decision issued Wednesday, the Fourth District Court of Appeal said the lawsuit filed by more than 1,000 residents contains enough evidence to pursue negligence claims against the City of Miramar and its consultant, Kimley-Horn & Associates.

According to a Law360 report, the panel also reinstated a professional malpractice claim against the consultant.

The lawsuit, first filed in Broward County in 2023, accuses the city of failing to properly treat tap water between 2016 and 2022. Residents allege the city didn’t add enough minerals back into the water after using filtration processes at the West Water Treatment Plant. One key mineral, calcium, helps create a protective coating inside copper pipes. Without it, pipes can corrode, eventually causing small holes and leaks.

The plaintiffs say the damage was widespread across homes served by the treatment plant and claim some residents were forced to completely re-pipe their homes — repairs costing tens of thousands of dollars.