HomeMy Public PortalAboutLTC 039-2020 - Village Response to the City of Miami Beach Force Main RupturesBAL HARBOUR
- VILLAGE -
OFFICE OF THE VILLAGE MANAGER LETTER TO COUNCIL
NO. 039-2020
TO:
FROM: Jorge M. Gonzalez, Village Manager
DATE: March 6, 2020
Mayor Gabriel Groisman and Members of the Village Council
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SUBJECT: Village Response to the City of Miami Beach Force Main Ruptures
The purpose of this Letter to Council (LTC) is to provide you with a status update of the
Village actions taken in response to the City of Miami Beach Wastewater Force Main
Rupture. On March 5, 2020, the Village was advised that due to two separate wastewater
force main ruptures within the City of Miami Beach, their ability to receive the wastewater
flows from Bal Harbour Village and the Towns of Surfside and Bal Harbor Islands would be
greatly impacted for an estimated twenty-four (24) hour period.
As you are aware, the wastewater for our three municipalities, is transmitted south through
the Miami Beach wastewater system to the Virginia Key treatment plant. Staff began
immediate preparations to reduce the sanitary sewer flow from the Village by maintaining
a portion of wastewater flows within the Village system. Early that same afternoon, we were
advised that an additional thirty-six (36) inch diameter wastewater force main rupture
occurred at the 72nd Street surface parking lot in Miami Beach. Due to the two earlier and
this latest rupture, the City of Miami Beach requested that the three municipalities take
measures to severely limit the waste water flows to Miami Beach while repairs were
completed.
The Village, along with the Towns of Surfside and Bay Harbor Islands, contacted our
previously retained pump truck contractors to prepare for the transport of the wastewater
flows from the sanitary sewer system using tanker trucks to a location offsite for disposal.
At 10:30 pm on the evening of March 5, the Village utility operational staff, in coordination
with the Bal Harbour Police Department, began the continuous pumping and transport of
the wastewater flows from the center median manhole at the 9800 block of Collins Avenue,
to a Miami Dade County Sanitary Sewer Station in the City of Sunny Isles. This emergency
transport of the Village wastewater is expected to continue until at least the early morning
hours of Saturday March 7. The Bal Harbour Police Department deployed additional
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LTC — Utility Infrastructure Improvements Phase 3(A) Phase 4 Status
police resources to assist with the transports, as well as mitigate any traffic related issues.
We are also in continuous communication and coordination with all affected municipalities
and the Miami Dade County Water and Sewer Department during this period.
Additionally, the notice to our residents requesting the voluntary water use reduction is
still in effect and will be reiterated via the Village electronic notification system. As this
work continues, all normal operations of the Parks and Public Spaces Department, except
for the Bal Harbour Park, are suspended while the staff conducts this action.
If you have any questions or need additional information, please feel free to contact myself
or Ramiro Inguanzo directly.
JMG/JAO