Some Broward and Hollywood water customers may return to normal usage after wastewater pipe failure
HOLLYWOOD, Fla. — Officials in Hollywood on Friday asked a segment of its customers to reduce their water use following the rupture Friday morning of a 48-inch pipe at a wastewater treatment facility.
Customers of the Southern Regional Wastewater Plant in Hollywood, Pembroke Pines, Dania Beach, Hallandale Beach, Miramar, Pembroke Park and southern Broward County were being asked to limit water consumption as much as possible to help reduce backups and pressure on the system, officials said in a written statement.
On Saturday afternoon, Hollywood officials said customers may return to normal water usage and released a list of which areas have been cleaned and decontaminated:
- Harding Street between 14th Avenue and 15th Court
- Scott Street between 14th Avenue and 15th Court
- 16th Avenue between Taft Street and Harding Street
- 14th Avenue between Taft Street and Harding Street
- Liberty Street between 14th Terrace and 14th Avenue
- 14th Terrace between Liberty Street and Scott Street
- Coolidge and Arthur Streets
- Alleyway west of 16th Avenue between Taft and Harding Street
The failure of the pipe at the wastewater treatment plant, located at 1621 N. 14th Ave. and west of the Intracoastal, is operated by the city of Hollywood and serves six cities and portions of Broward County.
The Department of Public Utilities has begun repair work and has notified the appropriate regulatory agencies, including Florida State Warning Point, Florida Department of Environmental Protection, and Broward County, officials said in a written statement.
City officials said the drinking water supply and those with onsite septic systems were unaffected.
The city also, as a precautionary measure, urged people to avoid swimming, fishing or using the waters in the immediate area of the Wastewater Treatment Plant, including West Lake, the Eco Golf Course, surrounding canals, and the Intracoastal Waterway until further notice.
The pipe was temporarily fixed at around 5 p.m., but clean-up crews will be around into next week. As of 1 p.m. Saturday, officials from the Florida Department of Environmental Protection stated that they have crews sampling the affected bodies of water for infectious bacteria and will continue to do so until the indicator bacteria count is at safe levels. Officials said the cleanup is still ongoing and will continue through the week.
It was the second time this week that residents in Hollywood were grappling with water woes.
Earlier in the week, a watermain broke on State Road A1A with some residents of Hollywood waking up to find water flooding the streets south of Sheridan. A boil water order was put in place but it was rescinded Friday morning, officials said.
King tides and the high tide made it more difficult for crews who had to clear water from underneath the street to get to the broken main.