Winter Park debates who should pay more for water

There are communities in Central Florida where the price of water is next to nothing even as the region worries about running short of water.

In Maitland, for example, it's a steal, a fraction of what homeowners hooked to a Seminole or Orange County meter pay. And there's Winter Park, where the precious commodity isn't as deeply discounted but is very affordable for heavy users and elected officials have vowed to keep it that way for now.

Synonymous with establishment wealth, Winter Park is in the throes of a debate over a question that much of Florida is grappling with: Is water too cheap?

For much of the past year, a Winter Park advisory board has recommended boosting rates for the city's more affluent residents, some of who consume staggering amounts of water and put more than their share of strain on the city's utility.

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