Fourth sewer main break in a month in Fort Lauderdale repaired Saturday morning
Update: On Saturday morning, Fort Lauderdale crews finished repairs to the fourth sewer main break in December. Streets in the 1600 block of Northeast Fifth Street in Victoria Park were reopened., city officials said.
Repairs were completed on the 16-inch section of the pipe that had ruptured on Friday morning. But crews still have work to do to install a new section of 54-inch pipe at Virginia Young Park and to secure a valve device in the Himmarshee Canal, as well as clean up nearby Hector Park, city officials said on Twitter.
“I’m glad to know that they fixed it quickly, but it’s scary to know it’s right in your neighborhood, too,” Victoria Park resident Adam Sloane told WPLG Local 10.
Crews are working to make emergency repairs to another sewer main break in Fort Lauderdale. It’s the fourth one to impact the city this month.
The break happened in the 1600 block of Northeast 5th Street in Victoria Park around 7:30 a.m. Friday, according to the city.
“Crews have stopped the flow in the pipe so no additional discharge is flowing into the street,” said Chaz Adams, public affairs manager for the city of Fort Lauderdale.
Residents have begun to complain online about the city’s ability to maintain and update its infrastructure following the breaks.
Fort Lauderdale’s oversight of its sewage system was also questioned in July, when a subcontractor for FPL struck a 42-inch pipe at Fort Lauderdale Executive Airport while drilling underground to repair electric lines.
The rupture left about 220,000 customers without water from morning to midafternoon. Residents were then placed under a boil water notice for several days.
But Adams insists that upgrading infrastructure is a “top priority” for the city.
“We currently have more than $45 million in projects underway and will invest more than $600 million in water, sewer, and stormwater infrastructure over the next five years,” Adams said.
Adams said it’s still unclear what caused the 16-inch pipe to break but that the city is working to remove the standing water and have sent vacuum and tanker trucks to help the cleanup.
“Once the water is removed, crews can begin digging around the break area to expose the pipe and assess the extent of the damage,” said Adams.
The break to the pipe comes two days after workers fixed the pipe that ruptured on Dec. 10 and reportedly sent thousands of gallons of sewage into the Tarpon River for days.
The spill also drenched the surrounding Rio Vista neighborhood in smelly sewage.
City officials are asking residents to avoid coming into contact with the standing water. Drivers are also asked to avoid the area.
The new break should not affect drinking water.
This story was originally published December 27, 2019 at 10:08 AM.
