ORLANDO, Fla. — Residents of Downtown Orlando have long dealt with flooding concerns. Now, the city is replacing a lift station that has been in service for more than 80 years.
The $19.5-million project will upgrade the aging lift station and surrounding sewer infrastructure.
The city said that replacing the aging infrastructure should make the lift system more reliable, especially during heavy rain, which puts extra demand on it.
“Part of my neighborhood can be like a huge puddle in the intersection, or there can be nothing,” Liam Miller, a Downtown Orlando resident, said.
He was out for a run during a break in the rain on Wednesday morning.
He’s lived in the area for 27 years and said the construction he sees on his route along Garland Avenue, Marks Street, and Orange Avenue is a welcome sight.
“There’s literally been sewage running across the trail,” Miller said. “That kind of stuff, we need functional lift stations. I know in the long run it’s good because they are fixing sewers under the road.”
Channel 9 has covered flooding in Downtown Orlando extensively, and the toll it takes on area lift stations.
Like this coverage in 2022, when heavy rains from Hurricane Ian impacted city lift stations 1, 2, and 3, and a 36-inch force main break caused an overflow of sewage in the surrounding lakes and streets.
The city has taken note and is replacing 80-year-old lift station 2.
The project will include new gravity sewer pipelines, water system improvements, utility relocations, and bypass pumping.
The city says it’s an important $19.5-million upgrade that will ensure reliable service, prevent future emergency outages, and prepare downtown for sustainable future growth.
In the meantime, North Garland Avenue between North Marks Street and North Orange Avenue will be closed.
The city expects the lift station construction project to be complete by the summer of 2028.
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