Millions of gallons of sewage have been dumped into the Tarpon River for more than a week, but the fix will be in place by Wednesday, city officials promise.
Overnight, crews will work on a bypass pipe designed to stop the flow of sewage that’s been dumped into the Tarpon River since a 54-inch sewer main broke on Dec. 10.
That pipe should be in place by 8 a.m. Wednesday, Public Works Director Paul Berg told commissioners Tuesday afternoon.
The broken pipe sits several feet underground in the Rio Vista neighborhood, where many homes are assessed at more than $1 million and residents pay tens of thousands of dollars in property taxes every year.
City officials expect to have a tally later this week on just how many millions of gallons of sewage have been flowing onto streets and into the river.
Berg says a forensic analysis will be done to determine why the cast-iron pipe ruptured.
City officials suspect it has something to do with the age of the pipe, which has been in use since the 1970s.
In case things don’t go as planned, the pumps that have been in place since the break will remain on site, Berg said.
The massive sewage leak that hit Ponce de Leon Drive on the morning of Dec. 10 has transformed the neighborhood into a construction zone. Pipes snake along at street level, funneling sewage to the river.
Newly fabricated parts needed for repairs arrived Sunday from Texas.
A city advisory warns people to avoid contact with water on the ground in the Rio Vista neighborhood, in an area generally bounded by Broward Boulevard to the north, Southeast 15th Street to the south, Poinciana Drive to the east, and Southwest 18 Avenue to the west.
People should avoid swimming, fishing, jet-skiing, paddle-boarding, kayaking, canoeing or engaging in any water-related activities within these boundaries.
State officials have been taking samples of ocean water due to the days-long sewage leak.
Sampling results from Monday “were within acceptable range,” according to Candy Sims, a spokeswoman with the Florida Department of Health in Broward County. More testing will be done Wednesday, she said.
Staff writer David Fleshler contributed to this report.
Susannah Bryan can be reached at sbryan@sunsentinel.com or 954-356-4554
