Hank Breitenkam, Assistant Director of Public Works

Albert J Carbon III, P. E., Public Works Director

The City needs to test its sanitary sewer system to identify leaks, unauthorized connections and other concerns that can cause Inflow and Infiltration (I&I) in the system. This testing is part of the City’s efforts to ensure the integrity and sustainability of its infrastructure.   

In 2010, the City assessed the enormity of the water and sewer infrastructure needs and developed a Project Delivery Plan for addressing those needs. This plan divided the City into 13 Bid Pack projects which took into consideration projects that were already under design and then divided the City into six major Bid Pack areas (3 and 4 west of I-95; 8 and 9 east of Dixie Highway; and 10 and 11 between I-95 and Dixie Highway).  This plan was used to secure $31 Million in Municipal Bond funding which was used to design and build these projects. The last of the Bid Pack projects (Bid Pack 8) will add water, sewer, drainage improvements in the area east of Dixie Highway and south of Park Lane East.

The Bid Pack 1 project focused on addressing the inflow and infiltration (I&I) of groundwater and stormwater into the City’s sanitary sewer collection system by video recording the system and lining the mains with the severest leaks. The City has invested approximately $4.78 Million over the last 6 years for video recording and lining the sanitary sewer collection system and has projected an additional $1.3 Million investment over the next 5 years to continue to improve the integrity of the system. This has significantly reduced the amount of I&I into the system and it is estimated to have saved the City approximately $1.95 Million in treatments costs up to 2015. This translates into a payback period for the investment of less than 10 years.

The City will be conducting Smoke Testing to identify areas in need of repair. Smoke testing is performed by trained technicians who apply controlled smoke to the sanitary sewer system.  The discharged smoke is utilized to show leaks or unauthorized connections are in the system.

Smoke testing is completed by the injection a “canned smoke” (by blowing it) into a sanitary sewer manhole, from there it enters the trunk sewer line in the street and eventually goes up into the service laterals. If there are cracks in the pipe or illegal connections, smoke will be seen coming from the ground (literally) or in the case of illegal roof drains, from the collectors on the roof. If a building’s sewer plumbing is “tight” (no leaks), the smoke will only come out of the sanitary vents on the roof.

Due to the nature of this testing, customer education is key (see attached Smoke Testing Door-hanger) as well as coordination with the Fire Department and local law enforcement (BSO). The testing will be confined to a well-defined area in the Lift Station B3 collection area.  This area is the Industrial/Commercial Areas south of Commercial Blvd north of Floranada Road and east of the Railroad Tracts along NE 12^th Avenue and NE 12 Terrace.  It also includes all of the areas within the City Limits north of Commercial Blvd east of the Railroad Tracks (see attached Smoke Testing Map, area in grey).

INFLOW usually occurs during and immediately after a rain event as storm water sheet flows over the sanitary sewer system as it is drained off roads and collects into swales. This water enters the system through cracks in the manhole cover castings and illegal connections of roof drains and other drainage lines. INFILTRATION occurs as the sanitary sewer system sits in the usually high water table of South Florida and groundwater enters the system by way of cracks in old pipe lines as well as through joint seals that no longer hold tight

Although early construction of urban areas combined both stormwater and sewer systems, current guidelines separate the systems, one for sanitary sewage and one for stormwater. In order to comply with stringent regulatory and environmental requirements, our sanitary sewage receives a costly and high degree of treatment at the City of Ft. Lauderdale's Wastewater Treatment Plant located in adjacent to Port Everglades. As such, it is imperative that storm water not be added to the sewer system and it is essential utilities take measures to limit its I & I into the sanitary sewage collection system.

Storm water or runoff receives treatment in swales and retention basins and percolates into the ground to recharge the aquifer or runs off into our network of canals that lead eventually to the ocean.