Storm drain carries sewage leaked from manhole into Altamonte Springs lake

ALTAMONTE SPRINGS, Fla. - The City of Altamonte Springs says sewage is leaking into Lake Orienta. The boat ramp is going to be closed while the city figures out whether the water is safe. 

The city says some sewage from a manhole on Lake Orienta Drive leaked into a stormwater inlet. That carried the sewage into Lake Orienta. The city says it isn’t sure yet how much got into the Lake, but plans to do water quality sampling to confirm the water is safe.  Until then, the City is asking people not to swim, wade, or fish in the lake.

Altamonte Springs manhole leaks sewage into lake

Paul Wojtowicz, who lives near the lake, says he hadn’t been notified by the city about what happened, but he doesn’t think the limitations on the lake will affect many people.

"You wouldn’t want to swim in that lake anyway!" said Wojtowicz. "I’ve never seen anybody swim in that lake. I’ve never seen anybody fish in that lake. And if you do, don’t eat what you catch."

Thankfully, the city says this does not impact drinking water. Even still, it notified the Florida Department of Environmental Protection about what happened.

So far, there’s no timeline for when people will be welcomed back into the lake.