'I feared for his life:' Gifford can thank whistleblower Leon Young for clean drinking water

Gifford residents may remember a time when sewage would back up into the streets and their drinking water — when it was on — was yellow with brown sediment and had to be boiled before using.

In the 1970s, there was only a nonprofit utility open just a few hours a day and run by two Vero Beach utilities employees on their off-hours. The system experienced constant breakdowns, failing lift stations and service interruptions.

Residents often had to go to the manager’s house and beg him to turn their water back on — sometimes at 2 o’clock in the morning. That manager saw the injustice and knew he had to do something for his community.

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Leon Young blew the whistle to CBS News and 60 minutes in 1977, garnering national attention that changed the substandard system.

"I would not say he was an outspoken person, but he did whatever he felt was right," said Linda Young Thomas, one of his five surviving children.

Young, 88, died Oct. 2 in Lakeland, and is also survived by six grandchildren. In his memory, Indian River County established a proclamation, which Commissioner Joseph Flescher presented to the family at Young’s funeral on Oct. 15.

"The proclamation was a special recognition of his impact in the community and on the lives of other individuals," Thomas said.

Gifford water whistleblower

Young began his career in utilities in 1974, when he was hired to manage the Urban Development Utilities, a nonprofit that expanded into Gifford with the help of a mortgage from the Farmers Home Administration.

Serving over 450 residents and businesses, it was run by two Vero Beach utilities employees on their off-hours, TCPalm reported in a 1999 article about Young’s retirement.

Over time, Gifford residents grew frustrated with the inconsistent service and stopped paying the utility. Now in debt, the utility was unable to get a loan to incorporate into the Vero Beach utility, which would have cost $1 million, Young told TCPalm in 1999.

After Young blew the whistle, CBS aired an episode exposing Gifford’s water-sewer issues, prompting national response from senators and congressmen, Thomas said.

The federal government gave Indian River County two options: fix the problem or have it fixed for them, TCPalm reported.

That led to the creation of the Indian River County Department of Utilities, which purchased and took over the nonprofit system. Young continued to manage it until he retired.

Thomas remembers the camera crew coming to their home to film, take photos and interview her father while she was home from college. She was afraid for her father — being a Black man speaking out against the establishment at that time — but she also was astounded at the support he received.

"It was very well received in the Black community and I never heard any backlash from the white community," Thomas said. "But for me, as a young Black girl, I feared for his life."

Indian River County jail ministry

Young, who was raised in Gifford, was also a reverend who devoted much of his life to the community. Family and community members described him as a humble and altruistic man who always took the opportunity to lead — but silently.

“He did not just speak for himself, but he was speaking for everyone that didn't have the articulation of words to be able to explain what he was talking about,” said Freddie Woolfork, a spokesperson for the Gifford Youth Achievement Center.

Thomas said she would often hear people in Gifford talking about his latest accomplishments and she’d have to ask him for confirmation.

Young attended Friendship Missionary Baptist Church and pastored at Community Missionary Baptist Church. But he also spent about 22 years working with various organizations to help bring God to people in difficult situations.

"My father always believed in doing what is right," Thomas said. "He just wanted to do what was right for everybody, regardless of their race."

For about 12 years, he spent many Sundays preaching to prisoners at the Indian River County jail. Some of them went on to become deacons and ministers within their communities.

"He actually pastored a church and had the opportunity to pastor his home church,” said William Thomas, Young's son-in-law, “but decided he really wanted to take his ministry to where people need it."

Gianna Montesano is TCPalm's underserved communities reporter. You can contact her at gianna.montesano@tcpalm.com, 772-409-1429 or follow her on Twitter @gmontesano13.

This article originally appeared on Treasure Coast Newspapers: Indian River County issues proclamation for Gifford whistleblower