WEST PALM BEACH, FL / ACCESS Newswire / May 7, 2025 / Today, Florida's Fourth District Court of Appeal reversed the dismissal of key claims brought on behalf of more than 1,000 homeowners who sued the City of Miramar and its engineering consultant, Kimley-Horn, Inc., for irreversible property damage allegedly caused by improperly treated water from the City's West Water Treatment Plant. The appellate court determined the lower court's dismissal of the plaintiffs' case with prejudice was not warranted and remanded it for further litigation.
Originally filed in 2023, Antezana, et al. v. Kimley Horn, et al. (Cir. Crt. Broward Cnty.) is a high-profile property damage lawsuit brought against the City of Miramar and Kimley-Horn by Miramar homeowners. Filed as a putative class action lawsuit, the homeowners seek to represent other individuals and businesses who suffered property damage as a result of the City's improperly treated water. They claim that due to the negligence of the City and the professional malpractice and negligence of Kimley Horn, their water supply was not properly treated, resulting in irreversible and costly damage to the copper piping in their homes.
"On behalf of Miramar residents, we are very pleased with the Fourth District Court of Appeal's decision. This ruling represents significant progress for Miramar residents who have suffered substantial plumbing and property damage. Many homeowners faced expenses in the tens of thousands of dollars, with some forced to completely re-pipe their homes. They shouldn't bear the financial burden of the City's failure to properly treat their water supply. We look forward to pursuing a full measure of justice on their behalf," said Leslie Kroeger, co-chair of Cohen Milstein's Complex Tort practice and lead plaintiffs' counsel in Antezana, et al. v. Kimley Horn, et al.
The City of Miramar owns and operates its own water treatment plants. Miramar's West Water Treatment Plant supplies water to thousands of residents and businesses throughout the central and western portions of the City of Miramar. Plaintiffs allege that from 2016 to 2022, the City's water treatment process at this plant removed essential minerals but failed to properly restore them-particularly calcium carbonate. This deficiency, combined with improper alkalinity and hardness levels, allegedly rendered the water corrosive to copper pipes.
The complaint further alleges that after residents reported premature plumbing failures, the City contracted with Kimley-Horn to evaluate the situation, but the consultant failed to recommend appropriate remedial measures, instead suggesting that non-water-related factors were to blame. Rather than addressing the underlying issue, the City allegedly advised homeowners to replace their plumbing at their own expense and offered a program for residents to borrow up to $10,000 from the City to pay for their new pipes.
The plaintiffs are represented by Cohen Milstein Sellers & Toll PLLC, Romano Law Group, and Burlington & Rockenbach, P.A.
Press Contact: cohenmilstein@berlinrosen.com
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About Cohen Milstein Sellers & Toll PLLC
Cohen Milstein Sellers & Toll PLLC, a premier U.S. plaintiffs' law firm, with over 100 attorneys across eight offices, champions the causes of real people-workers, consumers, small business owners, investors, and whistleblowers-working to deliver corporate reforms and fair markets for the common good. For more information visit https://www.cohenmilstein.com/
SOURCE: Cohen Milstein Sellers & Toll PLLC
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