The underground of Baldwin Park

This month, contributing columnist Mimi Simmons discusses all things underground in the area, including utilities, irrigation pipes and soil types.

By Contributing Writer Mimi Simmons
| 9:00 a.m. October 1, 2024

OUC Technician Lowell Gray replaces a reclaimed water meter with upgraded technology for a Baldwin Park resident. New water meters have an analog screen but can be read remotely by OUC services staff. OUC has contracted with Utility Partners of America to upgrade its water and reclaimed water meters. According to Eddie Fee, of OUC, technicians already have completed an estimated 80% of meter exchanges in Baldwin Park.

Baldwin Park Living

When I hear the term “underground,” what comes to mind is an artsy avant-garde counterculture, seedy, subversive, and hidden from the day-lit nine-to-five world. I imagine being drawn to an unmarked door off an alley that leads to a basement bar. The space is dark and probably not quite up to fire code. As the mist clears, beyond seated shadows, a back-lit band emerges onstage and begins to play a mixture of sound that is so different, so experimental, and yet somehow so familiar. As I soak it all in, fully entranced, I wonder if I am even cool enough to be there. I can’t wait to tell my friends about it.

There are no basements off New Broad Street, but some things of significance lurk below the surface of every front yard .

Water, Reclaimed Water & Sewer

In Baldwin Park, we are provided with two kinds of water. The first is fully treated potable water suitable for drinking, showering, washing clothes and other activities inside the home. The second is reclaimed water, which is appropriate for watering plants, washing cars and other activities outside the home.

At the same time, we need a quick method to remove wastewater from sink drains, toilets, dishwashers and showers. This takes place through Orlando’s sewer system.

C is for Chlorinated

The physical mode of distributing these types of water into and out of each residential property is a type of pipe made of PVC or CPVC. These pipes run from main distribution lines located in the public right-of-way, under the sidewalk, into your yard and your home.

X Marks the Spot

How can you find where each service enters your property? Developers of our community made it easy by placing markings on the concrete curb in front of each home. W indicates the location of an incoming water line, R stands for reclaimed water, and X for sewer.

Ugly But Important

Once water and reclaimed water pipes enter your property, a separate meter for each along with a shut-off valve is attached. It’s important to know where each of these assemblies is located in case you need to shut off your service. Fortunately, they are hard to miss, because they are protected by large rectangular covers with access plates. These can often get buried under layers of mulch, roots, and dirt. A call to the Orlando Utilities Commission in the case of water service or city of Orlando in the case of reclaimed water service is all you need to request lifting these covers and plates. A sewer line does not require a meter but is often found by locating a small white circular clean out cap.

For additional assurance, utility structures can be located with a quick call to Sunshine 811.

Under Pressure

Utility companies will tell you to expect water and sewer lines to be buried a minimum of 12 to 18 inches below ground level. However, there are exceptions to this rule, and line breaks can occur as a result. Also, after 20 years, PVC and CPVC pipes can become brittle and damaged by roots. Both water and reclaimed water lines are pressurized before their meters. Between the meters and your home, water lines remain pressurized unless the service has been shut off. Irrigation lines are typically not pressurized unless they the system is operating.

What should you do if a break occurs?

For water, if the break is on the street side of the meter, call OUC’s customer support line, (407) 423-9018. If the break is on the home side of the meter, you are responsible for the repair. Turn off the service at the meter and call a plumber immediately.

For reclaimed water, if the break is on the street side of the meter, call The City of Orlando’s Reclaimed Water Division, (407) 246-2213 or 311. If the break is on the home side of the meter, it is often not an urgent situation. Turn off the zone of the break and call an irrigation specialist. Many landscape professionals can repair minor post-meter irrigation issues.

For sewer line breaks, do your best to cover the break to prevent dirt from entering and call a plumber. You won’t be able to use toilets, sinks or appliances connected to your system until the repair has been made.

Mimi Simmons is the owner of Mimi Simmons Designs.