ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. – Residents in a Central Florida community are grappling with unpleasant smells and environmental issues following a significant raw sewage spill into a waterway near Lake Orlando, as confirmed by city officials.

The incident occurred on Tuesday in the vicinity of the 3900 block of South Lake Orlando Parkway. The spill was triggered when an AT&T contractor accidentally damaged a sewer force main during underground operations. This mishap resulted in approximately 10,000 gallons of sewage spilling over into private stormwater detention ponds, affecting the nearby Lake Orlando.

Among the affected residents are Mark and Cyndi Martin, who reside on Golfside Drive. They reported waking up to find a pond behind their house filled with brown, contaminated water.

“It’s akin to opening a port-a-potty and stepping inside,” said Cyndi Martin, describing the intense odor. “It’s that unmistakable port-a-potty smell.”

Cyndi Martin also expressed concerns about how the odor has made it challenging to spend time outdoors and has raised potential health risks for the neighborhood.

“It’s like living next to a sewer plant,” Mark Martin said.

City crews were seen pumping contaminated water out of the pond in an effort to remove the sewage. Mark Martin said the smell is expected to worsen as decaying fish and wildlife are exposed.

“A waterway contaminated with raw sewage and right now they’re pumping it out,” he said. “You’re going to have the smell of raw sewage plus decaying fish and wildlife.”

The Martins said the city told them an AT&T contractor caused the damage. In a statement, AT&T confirmed the incident, saying the damage was likely caused by inaccurate underground utility markings.

“In this case, as soon as our contractor was aware of the damage, the local utility provider was notified so that repairs could be made as quickly as possible,” the company said.

While the pipe has since been repaired, the Martins remain concerned about environmental impacts and lingering odors once the water is fully drained.

“If they drain it, they’re going to leave all those animals in there to die,” Mark Martin said. “The smell is going to be twice as bad.”

The city of Orlando said it will continue regular E. coli testing before lifting its health alert for Lake Orlando. Residents are advised to avoid contact with affected water areas until testing confirms the water is safe.

Wildlife is abundant around the lake, the Martins said, including otters that are frequently spotted.

“There’s a lot of wildlife here,” Mark Martin said. “We see otters at least once a week.”