Lake Alert FAQs

The City of Orlando issues a lake alert when a water quality or public health concern is confirmed for that lake. Some concerns that may cause a lake alert to be issued include sanitary sewer overflows, harmful algal blooms, fish kills, elevated bacteria levels, and tropical storms or hurricanes.

The presence of elevated E. coli concentrations in a lake could be caused by a sanitary sewer overflow, excessive dog poop that has runoff into the lake, or excessive excrement from waterfowl.

There are many natural and manmade causes that can lead to fish kills. Natural causes may include changes in weather, lake water depth, cloudy or muddy water, and fish community structure. High levels of algae growth can rapidly change the level of oxygen in a lake or produce toxins that result in fish kills. Algal blooms can be caused by high levels of nutrients entering a lake via runoff from fertilizers, septic tanks, pet waste and yard waste. Misuse of pesticides or herbicides around a water body can also cause fish kills.

For questions regarding a Lake Alert, refer to the contact information listed within the Lake Alert itself. You may also contact the Public Outreach Coordinator at stormwater.education@orlando.gov.

A Lake Alert will be lifted when water quality levels have met acceptable surface water quality criteria. This may take several days or several months, depending on the cause of the Lake Alert and other factors like rainfall.