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Fort Lauderdale– The City of Fort Lauderdale today activated a section of its new redundant sewer force main line. Mayor Dean J. Trantalis and District IV Commissioner Ben Sorensen opened the valve in downtown Fort Lauderdale to bring a 1.5-mile section of the new transmission line into service.

The City is investing $65 million to construct the new seven-mile force main line, which extends from the George T. Lohmeyer Wastewater Treatment Plant on southeast 17 Street to a lift station at the Coral Ridge Country Club on northeast 37 Street.

“Today marks a significant milestone in this major infrastructure improvement project,” Mayor Trantalis announced shortly before activating the line. “We have installed more than 23,000 feet of new pipe underground. The project is more than 60 percent complete and on track to be finished within the aggressive 18-month timeline we have committed to,” Trantalis concluded.

Fort Lauderdale hired two contractors to work simultaneously on the project to expedite construction. David Mancini & Sons is installing the southern portion of the line, from the treatment plant to northeast 8 Street. Murphy Pipeline is installing the northern portion of the line, from northeast 8 Street to northeast 37 Street.  

The new line is made of high-density polyethylene pipe (HDPE). Crews are installing the pipe using a process called underground directional drilling. The trenchless method is more efficient than traditional open cut construction and is helping to expedite installation of the transmission line. Directional drilling also reduces the need for digging, so there is less disruption to roads and traffic; there is also less restoration work, which reduces the overall construction time.

The City is using HDPE pipe because it is more resistant to corrosion than iron. It has fewer mechanical joints and is more flexible than traditional ductile pipe, which will reduce maintenance needs and improve the infrastructure's resilience to rising groundwater tables and sea level rise. Fewer repairs and greater longevity equate to more reliable service and resident quality of life.

The section activated today begins in downtown Fort Lauderdale and continues south to the wastewater treatment plant on southeast 17 Street. The City intends to bring new sections of the new line into service as they are completed.

Once the entire seven-mile line is activated, the concurrent existing line will be taken out of service, rehabilitated and maintained, resulting in two wastewater transmission lines. The secondary line will create a truly redundant system that will enable the City to use either line as needed, which will minimize interruptions to service.

For more information on the redundant line and other infrastructure projects in the City of Fort Lauderdale, visit www.fortlauderdale.gov/infrastructure. 

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