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Big Sand Lake residents ask Orange County for $1 million toward permanent pump station
Summary
Residents of the Big Sand Lake community urged the Board during public comment to fund a permanent pump station to address chronic flooding and lake health; advisory board members said repeated emergency pumping is unsustainable.
During the public comment portion of the July 16 budget workshop, residents from the Big Sand Lake area told commissioners their neighborhood is increasingly vulnerable to flooding and environmental harm and asked the county to contribute $1 million toward a permanent pump station.
John Jennings, chairman of the Big Sand Lake Advisory Board, described a history of rising lake levels, submerged docks and septic systems stressed by standing water. He and a neighbor, Richard Grama, said stormwater from surrounding basins drains into Big Sand Lake and that reduced outflow control — including a gate that county staff said can be closed by another jurisdiction — has made lake levels more precarious. The advisory board previously authorized emergency pumping events and said using diesel pumps for emergency operations has been costly and temporary.
What the speakers asked: The residents requested $1 million from Orange County toward a permanent pump station; they said their Municipal Service Taxing Unit (MSTU) would cover additional costs above that contribution. The group provided commissioners with documentation and asked staff to review a grant proposal the advisory board prepared.
County response and context: Commissioners and staff acknowledged the request during the meeting but did not take immediate action. During later department budget presentations, public works and stormwater staff noted the county’s stormwater fee study and significant backlog of drainage projects; staff said any larger programmatic response to neighborhood flooding requests would be considered in the context of the broader stormwater capital and operating needs and the results of the ongoing stormwater utility fee study.
What residents said about urgency: Big Sand Lake advocates warned that continued high water levels threaten private property, docks and septic drainfields, and they emphasized the risk of catastrophic failures; they also noted impacts to lake recreation and reported algae blooms that posed a public‑health concern. Residents urged the board to prioritize a permanent, permitted solution rather than recurring emergency pumping.
Next steps: Staff advised residents they would review the advisory board’s material and that related stormwater funds and grant programs could be considered as staff and the board move through budget and stormwater fee study work this summer and fall.
