Fort Lauderdale's Major Sewer Problems Have No Fix In Sight
Of the many persistent obstacles faced by wastewater treatment utilities, outdated infrastructure might be the most disruptive. And few places feel this disruption as acutely these days as Fort Lauderdale.
“The city’s aging sewer pipes broke six times in December and spewed 126.9 million gallons of sewage — ranking as one of South Florida’s biggest spills ever,” the Sun Sentinel reported. “A gut-wrenching amount of toxic sewage spilled into Fort Lauderdale waterways in the past two months alone: 211.6 million gallons. That’s enough to fill 326 Olympic-sized pools and scare even the most die-hard kayakers from getting into the water for awhile.”
The city’s pipe issues have been so dramatic that state officials required Fort Lauderdale’s representatives to come up with a rehabilitation plan in 2017. As part of the plan, Fort Lauderdale is now fined up to $10,000 per day for spills of more than 100,000 gallons.
“After 10 sewage spills from decaying pipes have left For Lauderdale covered in waste since December, the state slapped a $1.8 million fine on the city … and assured the community it will keep pressure on local officials to fix its persistent poop problems” according to the Miami Herald.
It’s unclear how the city plans to address the fundamental problem, which appears to only be growing worse. In fact, it doesn’t seem clear that the city has accepted just how expensive of a problem this may be.
“A consultant’s report released in April 2017 estimated Fort Lauderdale would need to spend $1.4 billion over the next 20 years getting its water and sewer pipes in order,” according to a previous report from the Sentinel. “But Lee Feldman, city manager at the time, told commissioners the report exaggerated the frailty of the system. He relied on a report prepared the year before by another consultant that claimed the system was well-maintained and in good operating condition.”
Given the recent spate of sewer spills and the significant accompanying fine, it appears Fort Lauderdale’s system is far from being in good operating condition. And it also appears that the problem will only grow worse as officials determine how ongoing repairs — let alone fundamental fixes — will be paid for.
“Fort Lauderdale’s aging web of pipes is crumbling, with most of the structures reaching the end of their lifespan,” the Herald reported. “A 2017 consultant report said sea rise is making the situation worse by increasing corrosive groundwater leaks into the pipes.”
To read more about sewer spills, visit Water Online’s Sewers And Sewer Line Maintenance Solutions Center.