For years, drivers in Pine Hills had to navigate construction cones, lane shifts, and traffic delays along one of the community’s busiest roads. Now, a major milestone has been reached. Orange County has completed a project that not only improved the roadway but also saved dozens of homeowners from costly septic tank replacements.
If you take a drive down Pine Hills Road today, you’ll see something many drivers thought would take forever to happen—an end to years of construction. While some cones remain, the roadway looks much different than it did when heavy equipment and concrete barriers lined the area. For years, drivers dealt with delays, lane shifts, and construction zones, but many are now finally seeing the benefits of the work.
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Latanya Nichols of the Pine Hills Community Council said, “There was a planning phase, and then there were growing pains as the project began to take shape. Now we’re at the point where it is completed.”
One of the most significant benefits of the project is the conversion of 95 properties from septic tanks to sewer service. 65 businesses and 30 residential properties.
Business owners and homeowners along Pine Hills Road would have otherwise faced the prospect of spending thousands of dollars to replace aging septic systems. Instead, Orange County completed the conversions at no cost to property owners.
Orange County Commissioner Mike Scott said, “When we talk about different developers coming in, whether it’s residential or commercial development, this lays the foundation for that to happen.”
Andres Salcedo, Deputy Director of Orange County Utilities, explained that many of the septic systems in the area were decades old and nearing failure. Replacing a single septic system could have cost homeowners approximately $26,000. He said, “When you compare the cost of replacing a septic system to the contribution through our septic-to-sewer program, they’re much better off.”
While the roadway project has reached completion, the pedestrian and bicycle safety improvements are still underway. Commissioner Scott estimates the work is about 75% complete and says the county hopes to finish the project by the end of the year. He noted, “I would say they’re about 75% done. We’re just waiting on some resources. As you know, construction materials and resources don’t all come from one place.”
County officials also report progress on another septic-to-sewer project involving nearly 1,967 homes near Wekiva Springs. Approximately 577 homes have already been completed, nearly 396 are currently under construction, and the remaining homes are still in the design phase.
Salcedo says each home cost $70,000 to connect to sewer. The county will pay 25% of that cost and the state will pay 65%. Residents will be responsible for 10% of the cost but they’ll pay that out over the next 10 years.
Orange County officials say there are around 80,000 homes county wide still on septic and around 14,000 are in the area they service.
They hope to secure more grant funding to help other residents make the transition.