FORT LAUDERDALE, FLA. (WSVN) - Crews continue to work toward stopping a sewage spill after two sewer lines broke in Fort Lauderdale, Thursday. A precautionary water advisory has since been put into effect.
A 42-inch water main break under Bayview Drive led to leaking sewage at George English Park, while another line broke near Southeast 10th Avenue at Southeast Second Street. The breaks sent thousands of gallons of sewage into nearby waterways and the street.
Workers have been working on both breaks since Thursday and have managed to cap the break under Bayview Drive Friday, according to officials. The break along Southeast Second Street is more difficult to cap since it is currently submerged underwater. However, officials told 7News that they are close to capping it.
The precautionary advisory affects all water-related recreational activities in the bodies of water of Middle River, Rio Barcelona, the Intracoastal Waterway and Northern Las Olas Isles. The City of Fort Lauderdale said the area now stretches from 38th Street down to Interstate 595/Port Everglades, and from Interstate 95 east across to the east side of the Intracoastal Waterway.
The City of Fort Lauderdale, in consultation with the Florida Department of Environmental Protection, had issued a precautionary advisory to avoid water-related recreational activities in the area earlier in the day. The sewer main break occurred at 1101 Bayview Drive, in the parking lot of George English Park.
The city also announced that George English Lake is closed until further notice. Himmarshee Canal is also closed to vessel navigation and all public boat launches in the city are closed until further notice.
For summer campers at a tennis center nearby, the past two days have been … interesting. “As I came around, all the sewage exploded,” said Karl Waldman, who saw the sewage line break. “I saw all this brown sewage everywhere. It was just flooding, and it was three feet deep. A bunch of trucks came over, and you could smell it. It just smelled really bad.”
Michael Buckley and Michelle Loccisano said they were out swimming in the pond when they noticed a pungent smell.
“We were out swimming in the pond, and I said, ‘Jesus, what is that smell, honey?” said Buckley, who manages the Myapapaya Juicery and Kitchen nearby.
“Multiple times this has happened, not just in this area,” said Loccisano.
On Christmas day of 2015, a water main break less than a half mile away covered Sunrise Boulevard in sewage water.
Ricardo Carrion was driving nearby when he noticed the smell. “Yeah, you can smell the sewer,” said Carrion. “It’s nasty.”
“We’re telling folks to avoid swimming, jet skiing, fishing and other water related activities,” said City of Fort Lauderdale Chaz Adams. The boundaries for the precautionary advisory are I-95 on the west, the Intracoastal on the east, Port Everglades on the south and 38th Street on the north.”
John Forman, who lives in the area, expected environmentalists to be upset.
“That’s going to be a rough one,” said Forman. “I know there’s probably going to be a lot of environmental people that will jump on this.”
One woman said she understands all she can do is be patient. “We have to, I guess,” said the woman. “What else can we do?”
Thursday afternoon seven water containment trunks pumped waste out of the parking lot. The water basin at the park was clearly discolored from the sewage waste.
Bayview Drive was closed in both directions after being blocked off for motorists traveling on Sunrise Boulevard. The road has since reopened.
Many boat ramps in the area that go into the Intracoastal have been closed. Officials are urging boaters and residents to stay out of the water. Once both leaks have been completely capped, crews will then test the water for satisfactory levels before lifting the precautionary measures.
For more information, please contact the City of Fort Lauderdale’s 24-hour Customer Service Center at 954-828-8000 or www.fortlauderdale.gov/lauderserv.
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