Eye on the Tropics

Advisories warn residents to stay out of lakes in Orange and Lake counties after Hurricane Irma

ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. — Flooding and power outages have caused serious issues with sewer systems across Central Florida and residents have been urged to stay out of the water in area lakes that may have been contaminated by fecal material.

As the sun set over Little Lake Conway, people were out enjoying the water, but Orange County officials are advising residents to stay out of the lake.

Roger Orear said keeping people off the lake would be difficult.

“If they’re curtailed from using the lake, it would be a very big impact,” he said. “Most of the homeowners are boaters. It’s something we enjoy.”

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Orear was one of several residents in the area who told Channel 9 that they saw drains and manhole covers bubbling over with possible raw sewage days after Hurricane Irma hit.

“I didn’t go over and investigate the aroma, but I was curious to find out what it was,” Orear said.

In Lake County, Emergency Management released a video after a catastrophic failure of a lift station near Lake John.

A water line broke, sending water into the lake and flooding a nearby sewer system, which forced sewage to be released form a nearby lift station.

A private life station that lost power in Orlando may have sent sewage into Lake Formosa.

At Little Lake Conway, David Costner said he would be avoiding the water.

“We used to swim in this lake when I was a kid,” he said. “Not now.”

Karla Ray

Karla Ray, WFTV.com

Karla Ray anchors Eyewitness News This Morning on Saturday and Sundays, and is an investigative reporter for the 9 Investigates unit.