Liberty Home Water has apologized to an Ocala couple and hired a company to repair their lawn after a surveillance video of one of its employees dumping chemical water softener salt onto the property went viral, racking up more than 1 million views on News 6’s Instagram page.
Following News 6’s initial report, Liberty Water met with the Overbys, offered an apology, and took steps to make things right.
“I apologize, man, about your grass. I had a terrible day that day. I was going through some bad stuff. My wife was in a car accident, and I was having a bad day, brother. And I took it out on you and I apologize for that,” the Liberty Water employee said.
[WATCH: Ocala family blames water treatment company for lawn damage after contract dispute]
Lawn repairs underway, system reinstalled
Liberty Water hired a lawn service company to repair the damage, with that work expected to be completed Monday, October 26. The company also reinstalled the Overbys’ water treatment system at no charge.
Homeowner Adrian Overby said he was relieved to see the situation moving toward a resolution.
“It’s good to see people try to do the right thing or handle something in a better manner than what it was handled,” Overby said.
Liberty Water sent News 6 a statement saying the company takes the situation seriously, adding: “We believe that doing the right thing means more than simply saying the right words.”
Overby said he felt it was only fair to give the company a chance to make amends.
“But I figured well if I went through all this trouble to get their attention, I might as well give them the opportunity to make it right,” he said.
Neighbor steps up with offer of free water system
After the story aired, Ethan King of King’s Water Solutions reached out to offer the Overby family a free water system, saying his company understands what it feels like to be taken advantage of.
“Just to let them know that there are still good people out there, and that neighbors should look out for one another,” King said.
Employee not disciplined
Liberty Water described the employee seen in the surveillance video as one of its best. He was not disciplined following the incident and instead offered an apology to the family.
The Overbys say they hope there are no further problems, but if there are, King says he will be there to help.