New stormwater system will boost Orange City pumping capacity

A major upgrade to Orange City’s stormwater system is moving toward construction, with plans to move water from Mill Lake and Industrial Drive to the city’s borrow pit along West French Avenue.But how much pumping power the project will ultimately deliver remains a question of funding.At Tuesday’s City Council meeting, Public Works Director Ben Bartlett said design and permitting for the Mill Lake Industrial Park Basin stormwater project were completed this month. Construction is expected to start in early 2027 after bidding.A new route for stormwaterThe project would establish a backbone stormwater system serving Mill Lake, Industrial Drive and potentially other drainage basins.One important distinction for residents: Water from Industrial Drive would not be pumped into Mill Lake. Instead, the Industrial Drive system would connect directly to the new stormwater pump station at Mill Lake, sending the water onward to the borrow pit.The proposed upgrade would represent a substantial in