It’s a granddaddy of a pipe, a vintage 54-inch sewer main with a line that runs 7.5 miles underground across the city. But that aging cast-iron pipe, funneling sewage since 1973, is at the end of its expected life span.
Replacing it won’t be quick or cheap. Installing a new pipe will cost around $65 million and take up to 18 months, city officials say.
Homeowners didn’t give the pipe much thought until it ruptured in early December. The breaks kept coming all the way through Dec. 30, spewing 126.9 million gallons of raw sewage into waterways and streets.
Now city officials are now scrambling to do what critics say should have been done long ago: Fix the problem.
“We are not kicking the can down the road,” Mayor Dean Trantalis promised during a public meeting Tuesday afternoon.
On Tuesday night, commissioners signed off on plans to install a new pipe right next to the old one.
During the meeting, several residents hammered them for not making fixes sooner.
“You cannot play Russian roulette with critical infrastructure,” said Paul Chettle, admonishing commissioners for continuing to raid millions from the water and sewer fund to help pay salaries and other day-to-day costs.
One woman advised commissioners to go ahead and hike the property tax rate and embrace a building moratorium until the pipes are fixed. Another woman joined the chorus: “You’ve got to get this together. We are relying on you.”
Trantalis defended the current commission, saying it had indeed made infrastructure a priority, unlike previous commissions.
“This was a crumbling infrastructure that should have been address long before today,” he said.
The current plan is to replace the failing cast-iron pipe with a new pipe partly made of both high-density polyethylene and ductile cast iron, materials more durable and less susceptible to saltwater erosion.
The $65 million project will take 14 to 18 months to complete, City Manager Chris Lagerbloom says.
Two contractors will be hired to work on the new line, with one working from the south and the other working from the north until they meet in the middle, somewhere near Sunrise Boulevard.
Lagerbloom fast-tracked the competitive bidding process and expects to finalize the contracts with both contractors this week. Murphy Pipeline Contractors will handle the north end, and David Mancini & Sons Inc. will handle the south end.
Once the new 48-inch pipe is up and running, the old cast-iron pipe will be relined and available as a backup in emergencies.
Fort Lauderdale officials say they already have the money for the new pipe.
Two years ago, after a series of sewage spills, Fort Lauderdale commissioners agreed to borrow $200 million to help fix the city’s failing water-sewer system.
That bond will help pay for the new pipe. Fort Lauderdale will also tap the city’s utility fund and use money already set aside for two other sewer projects. Those projects are being fast tracked and incorporated into the new emergency project.
City officials are not expecting financial help from the federal government or the state because they typically do not fund municipal sewer or water projects.
“We’re on our own,” the mayor said.
Critics have been calling for a moratorium on development until the city’s sewer and water system can catch up to the building boom.
Earlier Tuesday, developer Alan Hooper urged commissioners to ignore those critics.
“If you were to just stop building tomorrow, there still might be more breaks and then you’ve shut off” millions of dollars in development impact fees, Hooper said. “Let’s let our city progress and fix the problem at the same time.”
Stan Eichelbaum, president of the Downtown Fort Lauderdale Civic Association, advised commissioners to heed the call for a pause on development while the city fixes the failing pipes once and for all.
“We have real problems,” he said. “We have citizens suffering. And we have developers saying keep on going.”
Trantalis plans to host a town hall meeting Thursday at 6 p.m. to explain what how the city plans to shore up its failing water and sewer pipes.
The meeting will be in commission chambers at City Hall, 100 N. Andrews Ave.
Susannah Bryan can be reached at sbryan@sunsentinel.com or 954-356-4554
