FORT LAUDERDALE, FLA. (WSVN) - Residents of the Rio Vista neighborhood in Fort Lauderdale expressed their frustrations to city officials after a sewage pipe burst for the second time, causing raw sewage to spill into the neighborhood.
City officials admitted the 50-year-old pipe was in need of replacement during a town hall meeting, Friday night.
Upon hearing officials confirm that the pipe needed replacement, residents who attended the meeting expressed their frustrations.
“It is incomprehensible to me what happened last night,” one resident said. “I don’t understand. Who is in charge? Who’s running the process? Who’s accountable? Because I think someone should be accountable.”
7News cameras captured the streets of Rio Vista flooded with raw sewage earlier in the day. The sewage also seeped into the homes and yards of residents.
Officials said the pipe that burst was the same pipe that broke last Tuesday.
Fort Lauderdale City Commissioner Ben Sorensen, who represents the affected neighborhood, participated in the town hall and gave an update on the pipe’s repair.
“Significant parts of this pipe are the thickness of one-tenth of an inch, so we’re dealing with a very thin pipe,” Sorensen said.
Crews were left with no choice but to pump the raw sewage into the Tarpon River.
However, the sewage spilling into the river has left residents concerned.
“Right now, with this second spill, it is detrimental,” a second resident said. “I know what everybody and what they are going through and their yards being destroyed, but this river is going to take a long time to recoup.”
“We’re not seeing the iguanas that we did,” a third resident said. “We’re not seeing the manatees. It’s a bad deal.”
While the cleanup continues, residents said they are fed up and frustrated.
However, city officials said they are already on their way to find a fix and prevent any future breaks.
“We’ve got new pipes and new fittings that are being made and constructed,” Sorensen said. “They’re gonna come in, and that’s going to be the long-term fix, which will be rerouting the current pipe and taking away the part that was compromised.”
Officials said the basic cleanup at the neighborhood should take around two weeks to fix the latest break.
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