SANFORD, Fla. — The City of Sanford recently invested over a million dollars in a new flood mitigation system—three new lift stations located in its downtown area. However, at least one lift station couldn’t withstand an afternoon thunderstorm this week.
Downtown Sanford saw more than 3 inches of rain in about an hour on Tuesday. Rosie Gedney shot video of floodwaters rising against the wheels of cars and golf carts along Park Avenue.
“It was a raging river going down that street for a good half hour or more until it finally let up,” Gedney said. Just two blocks down, employees at Hollerbach’s pumped out gallons of water.
“Apparently, there was something wired incorrectly and when it filled up, it didn’t pump,” Mayor Art Woodruff said.
“Were you disappointed by this?” Channel 9 asked.
“Yes,” Woodruff said.
Theo Hollerbach says water filled the 6-inch-deep grease trap inside, overflowed and caused standing water in their restrooms. Hollerbach pointed to a water line that was about half an inch.
Downtown Sanford has seen its fair share of flooding over the years.
Hollerbach mentioned last year that he had to close his business every three or four weeks due to flooding caused by typical summer thunderstorms. “A couple of thousand, twenty or thirty thousand per year,” Hollerbach said, discussing the cost of flooding. “My opinion that is pure profit because that i have to spend that i can’t get back from anyone.”
“So, you’re just looking forward to the day it works,” we asked.
“I am, I am,” Hollerbach said.
Woodruff says this station should be working now.
There was also flooding at Brewlando near the second lift station; however, Woodruff says the contractor stated it was not finished with grading work, so the project wasn’t fully complete.
We’ve learned the city paid Cathcart Construction Company in Winter Springs more than $1 million for this project.
We reached out to them about the system failure but have not heard back.
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