FORT LAUDERDALE, FLA. (WSVN) - After working around the clock for over a week, crews have installed a temporary fix to stop sewage from spilling into a Fort Lauderdale neighborhood.
Crews successfully installed a bypass around the broken section of a 54-inch pipe overnight Wednesday after it burst in the Rio Vista neighborhood on Dec. 10.
“We’ve been running a 24/7 operation all week since Monday,” said City of Fort Lauderdale Commissioner Ben Sorenson. “These are folks that have been working 12-hour shifts day in and day out here on site to help get this to the place where it is today with the bypass installed.”
Crews made the adjustment to halt sewage from spilling into the neighborhood and a nearby waterway before a long-term fix can be made.
“The bypass line is functioning properly,” said Fort Lauderdale Mayor Dean Trantalis. “The waste water collection system is back online, and sewage is no longer spilling from the pipe or reaching the Tarpon River.”
Cleanup in the area continues while other crew members work to cut out the broken section of the busted pipe.
An access pit is being dug around the pipe so it can be cut out, removed and replaced with a new one. The repair is expected to be completed by Saturday morning.
The tedious ordeal has been a frustrating one for people who live in the area.
“There is a lot of complaining going on [that’s] well deserved,” said one resident. “The city should have never let this happen, but they did jump on it 100%, and I think we at least should show some appreciation for that.”
It remains unclear when the rivers in the area will be deemed safe.
“It is important to remember that a precautionary advisory for recreation activities in the Tarpon River and New River remain in effect,” said Trantalis. “We advise people to stay out of the water here in the neighborhood.”
For more information from the city on the repair work, click here.
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