FORT LAUDERDALE, FLA. (WSVN) - Crews have repaired the third sewage leak that broke at a canal in a Fort Lauderdale neighborhood, and they plan on implementing a permanent fix to the leak this evening.
The break at the Himmarshee Canal on Southeast Second Street and Ninth Avenue, just north of Las Olas Boulevard, was capped, Wednesday night.
“It hasn’t gotten in the way of traffic here or anything,” resident Noah Leopold said. “It’s a small street. I don’t know as far as sewage if it’s causing any issues or there’s been any fish on the street. I’m not sure, but we haven’t had any issues.”
According to crews, if the cap in place holds, then they will send divers underwater and place a permanent concrete seal around the fix.
“It’s just something that you think is never gonna be broken,” one resident said. “It’s underground. You don’t see it.”
The Himmarshee Canal break was the third sewer pipe break in the area since Dec. 10. The two previous breaks were in the Rio Vista neighborhood, just south of Las Olas Boulevard.
“I’ve lived here for 30 years,” resident Lynn Callahan said. “I just think it’s very sad to see all this happen. You can smell it. We have birds. We have manatees. We have all kinds of stuff in that canal, and I’m afraid they’re all going to die.”
Officials said the same 50-year-old pipe broke twice in Rio Vista. The pipe runs from Coral Ridge and runs north and south to 17th Street, and it carries most of the sewage through Fort Lauderdale.
For nearly 10 years, the city has known the 54-inch pipe needed replacing, but they finally funded the project a week before it burst.
“It should never have happened,” a second resident said. “It should have been taken care of 20 years ago at least.”
Crews had to fix the leak before they can begin placing the permanent fix to that pipe.
Residents said they are grateful for crews who spent Christmas Day finishing the repairs and cleaning up.
“We’re thinking about them a lot,” resident Bob Denison said. “We’re really grateful for the fact that they are spending their Christmas Eve and Christmas away from their family fixing this whole thing.”
Eventually, crews will have to replace the aging pipe. The pipe burst caused millions of gallons of raw sewage to be spilled into the Tarpon River.
Officials hope aerators situated in the canal will improve water quality.
Officials also hope to have the leak in the Himmarshee Canal permanently fixed by Thursday night, but they are monitoring the fix to make sure it does not break again.
Fort Lauderdale City Commissioner Ben Sorensen, who represents the area where the breaks occurred, will have a meeting at the Rio Vista Church Sunday afternoon to hear from residents.
Officials are continuing to ask residents to refrain from water-related activities in both the Tarpon River and the Himmarshee Canal until further notice.
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