State fines Fort Lauderdale $1.8 million for consecutive sewage spills

Adriana Brasileiro
·2 min read

After 10 sewage spills from decaying pipes have left Fort Lauderdale covered in waste since December, the state slapped a $1.8 million fine on the city Tuesday and assured the community it will keep pressure on local officials to fix its persistent poop problem.

The Florida Department of Environmental Protection sent a letter to Mayor Dean Trantalis notifying him of the fine, which includes several penalties of $10,000 per day for unauthorized discharges over the December 2019 through Feb. 17, 2020, period. The city must pay up by March 31, according to a letter signed by Kirk S. White, deputy general counsel at the DEP.

As recently as Monday afternoon, Fort Lauderdale issued a boil water notice after yet another water main broke near Broward Boulevard and Southeast Eighth Avenue. The 6-inch pipe broke and left many residents with low water pressure, according to a statement from the city.

Over the past two months the city’s decaying pipes dumped more than 210 million gallons of sewage into streets and waterways, leaving managers and residents in a stink. Trantalis vowed to implement a “Marshall Plan” to fix the city’s plumbing, while angry residents — backed by some commissioners — called for a suspension on new development in the fast-growing city.

A temporary above-ground sewage pipe inside the Rio Vista neighborhood in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, on Tuesday, January 7, 2020.
A temporary above-ground sewage pipe inside the Rio Vista neighborhood in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, on Tuesday, January 7, 2020.

In a message to Fort Lauderdale residents, the state environmental agency said it will hold city managers accountable for the sewage crisis.

“You have been through a lot in recent months and we appreciate the magnitude of the issues you are currently facing,” Jon W. Moore, a DEP spokesman, said in a statement. “I can assure you that Governor DeSantis and DEP will continue to keep your communities’ recovery a top priority while ensuring measures are put in place to prevent future spills and local officials are held accountable for maintaining, monitoring and repairing critical infrastructure.”

Trantalis’ office didn’t reply to emailed requests for comment.

Fort Lauderdale’s aging web of pipes is crumbling, with most of the structures reaching the end of their lifespan. A 2017 consultant report said sea rise is making the situation worse by increasing corrosive groundwater leaks into the pipes.

The price tag for fixing the stinky mess is estimated at $1.4 billion. A 2017 consent order between the state and city established $117.5 million in required sewer system repairs and improvements through 2026.