Officials Weigh Options After 6th Sewer Line Breaks in Fort Lauderdale

Yet another sewer line has burst in a major South Florida city.

Two more pipes ruptured in Fort Lauderdale on Monday, bringing the number of sewer line breaks to six in December in the city of canals. Officials said the two pipes weren’t major lines.

Commissioner Heather Moraitis said the city is going to be forced to move quicker in repairing breaks given the recent history.

“We just need to double up our efforts, if not triple up our efforts, if that’s possible,” Moraitis told the South Florida Sun Sentinel.

Fort Lauderdale has known for years its sewage system was getting old and in need of significant repairs. The city needed $1.4 billion in improvements over the next 20 years to catch up with past neglect of its water and wastewater systems, according to a 2017 consultant’s study.