Water Conservation for Hurricane Irma Recovery
Water Conservation
Orange County Pump Stations Restored, Normal Water Use Resumes Post Hurricane Irma
All of Orange County’s nearly 800 wastewater pump stations have been restored, after more than 50 percent had been impacted by Hurricane Irma. Residents were asked to limit their water usage to reduce the impact on the wastewater system. However, However now that all pump stations have been restored, water consumption, including use of dishwashers and washing machines, may resume to normal levels.
Just after the storm, more than half of the county pump stations (446) were offline due to power disruptions in the wake of the storm. Crews and generators were in the field by 3:30 a.m. Monday, September 11, to begin restoration.
The public’s assistance reducing the amount of wastewater produced was asked to aid crews with these efforts.
Lake Jessamine and Lake Pearl
UPDATE: Sept. 20, 2017, Lake advisory due to bacterial contamination from Hurricane Irma have been lifted for Lake Jessamine.
Due to power outages caused by Hurricane Irma, a sewage overflow has occurred adjacent to Lake Jessamine – located near the Conway area, as well as to Lake Pearl – located near the UCF area. Residents should avoid all contact with these lake waters and avoid recreation in the lake until further notice. Orange County Government is monitoring the situation and will perform sampling of the lake water during the next few days. An update will be provided when the lake is safe again. For questions, please contact Orange County’s Environmental Protection Division at 407-836-1400.
Wakes from Boating
Due to the high water levels in many area lakes, the Orange County Environmental Protection Division is advising residents to avoid creating wakes when boating on our lakes. Even after a hurricane has passed, our local lakes and rivers may continue to increase for several days as their watersheds drain downstream. It can take days for lakes that are landlocked or have limited discharge capacities to return to their normal water levels.
Wakes produced by ski boats, jet skis and other motorboats can cause severe erosion and damage to boat docks, seawalls and even property such as pools and other outside structures. In addition, with high lake levels, boat docks may be submerged with no visible signs of their presence at the surface. These submerged items can pose serious threats to personal safety.
Please take precautions for your own safety and respect your neighbor’s shoreline as you boat on our lakes during this time of high water levels.