Hurricane Eta contributed to already polluted water from construction runoff

Water in Fort Myers has been polluted by runoff and the rain from Hurrican Eta definitely didn’t help.

As Eta passed, it created this rush of water from two downtown Fort Myers construction sites into the Caloosahatchee River. dirt soot, and who knows what else is getting into the water.

It’s becoming a chronic problem. So much so that just days before the hurricane, Florida’s Department of Environmental Protection sent investigators to both the City Walk and Silver Hill sites so they could see what was happening.

Friday, we sent the WINK News drone over the river to see if there were any obvious problems. But, the water looked consistent from shore to shore.

No one from either construction site was willing to talk. But, the DEP said it was they would follow up again if needed.

So far, the State of Florida has fined City Walk more than $47,000 for failing to prevent runoff, which dates back to 2019.

Spring Hill has been fined more than $24,000  since it was issued its first warning in June.

The good news is that dry season is almost here.

City officials say they’re aware of the issues with the Silver Hill site and are working with contractors on possible solutions.