Brevard County

Brevard County utilities ask residents to conserve water after Hurricane Ian

By Melonie Holt, WFTV.com and Brittany Caldwell, WFTV.com
By Melonie Holt, WFTV.com and Brittany Caldwell, WFTV.com

BREVARD COUNTY, Fla. — The same flood waters that covered central Florida neighborhoods filled stormwater ponds around treatment plants.

>>> STREAM CHANNEL 9 EYEWITNESS NEWS LIVE <<<

That excess water still has to be processed, which impacts the whole system.

“The worst I’ve seen in here is Tropical Storm Fay,” said resident Patrick O’Connell. “I’m 6 foot, 3 inches tall and was standing at the street corner, and it was up to here.”

After living three decades on Stratford Drive, O’Connell knows a little about flood waters.

Read: Need FEMA assistance? Here’s what to expect when you apply

This time around, he said the flooding was manageable and that O’Connell’s thoughts are with those who were caught in the direct path of Hurricane Ian.

“I hate to see what’s really happening in South Florida with all the destruction,” O’Connell said. “I have family (there), and thank God they’re OK.”

Read: LIVE UPDATES: SunRail to resume service Monday

As Brevard County moves into storm recovery mode, O’Connell has been checking on neighbors and heeding warnings to reduce water usage.

Many water treatment plants were inundated with stormwater in recent days, and those systems are being taxed.

Utilities are asking for moderation in order to avoid wastewater backups.

“One flush or one load of laundry could be what breaks and throws somebody’s (water) into their living room, into their kid’s room, and that’s unfortunate. But that’s how it is,” resident Alicia Thomas said.

Read: 9 ways to take care of your mental health after Hurricane Ian

Thomas is being just as cautious as she was before the storm and tries to help her neighbors do the same.

“When the storm started coming up, I told them, ‘If you have anything of value, get it up off the floor,” she said.

Until this afternoon, many people in this neighborhood were also dealing with a power outage.

One neighbor said linemen from Indiana restored power to their home.

Image 1 of 55

Lake Ivanhoe An apparent washout happened near Lake Ivanhoe following Hurricane Ian. (WFTV.com News Staff)

Click here to download the free WFTV news and weather apps, click here to download the WFTV Now app for your smart TV and click here to stream Channel 9 Eyewitness News live.

©2022 Cox Media Group

Most Read