December 15, 2023

CITY OF ORLANDO - LAKE ALERT for Lake Lawn has been LIFTED

UPDATE: The City of Orlando has LIFTED the Lake Alert for Lake Lawne.

Original notice follows.

December 10, 2023

To address citizen concerns related to water quality, the City of Orlando's Streets and Stormwater Division has developed a Lake Alert public information system to provide seasonal and localized warnings for City of Orlando lakes. An announcement has been provided below regarding the lake(s) where water quality has been a concern.

Type of water quality concern: Possible elevated E. coli counts

Location: Barry Street and Norwood Street, located southwest of intersection of Mercy Drive and West Colonial Drive

Cause: Partially open valve caused sanitary waste to overflow into street and nearby stormwater ditches

Estimated Volume of Spill: 150,000 gallons

City Response: On December 9, 2023, City Water Reclamation crews, Orange County Public Utilities crews and two waste hauler contractors responded to overflow event to address issue as promptly as possible. Once the overflow was stopped, crews cleaned the impacted areas and vactored out the waste from stormwater ditches and stormlines. 168,000 gallons were recovered by the crews.

Warning Signs were placed at Barnett Park's boat ramp, Lake Lawne Park and at the entrance to the fishing pier.

The city is issuing a Lake Alert for Lake Lawne due to possible elevated E. coli levels. The City is advising that water contact activities, including irrigation, cease until further notice. Staff will collect water samples within the lake until E. coli counts meet acceptable State Water Quality Standards. When the water quality is safe, the city will remove the warning signs and share updates on our Lake Alert Hotline number (407.246.2220) and our Lake Alert website at orlando.gov/lakealert.

Please continue to check our website or call the Lake Alert Hotline for the most up-to-date information regarding your lake.

For sanitary overflow questions, please contact Chancey Springstead, Water Reclamation Compliance Program Manager, at chancey.springstead@orlando.gov. For water quality questions, please contact Lisa Lotti, Stormwater Compliance Program Manager, at lisa.lotti@orlando.gov.