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Repairs and cleanup are ongoing at the site of a sewer pipe that leaked into the Intracoastal Waterway near Marina Village. The breach in early July came in a section of pipe the city was seeking bids to replace. Tao Woolfe/The Coastal Star

By Tao Woolfe

A broken sewer pipe that had been oozing millions of gallons of wastewater into the Intracoastal Waterway has been repaired, but not before costing the city of Boynton Beach at least $1 million.

The Florida Department of Health and the city both announced in late July that the bacteria count at the spill site — at the far east end of Boynton Beach Boulevard, east of Federal Highway — has once again reached safe levels.

“Recent coordinated laboratory testing with the city of Boynton Beach and the Florida Department of Environmental Protection has concluded that water again meets surface water quality standards for fecal-indicator bacteria, confirming the public may resume water-related activities,” the state Department of Health announced on July 20.

The announcement came 13 days after the department issued a health alert about the spill. The break occurred on July 3.

Although the city said drinking water was not affected, local businesses were affected by the spill, especially those near the marina.

“We closed for three days,” said Fernando Melo, who works for Boynton Beach Boat Rentals, which also rents jet skis at the marina. “The water was not clean and it didn’t smell good, so we didn’t want to expose our customers.”

In subsequent City Commission budget hearings, Utilities Director Poonam Kalkat said the department had known that saltwater intrusion at the site had been weakening the 20-inch clay wastewater main pipe for many years.

To pay for the sewer pipe repairs, containment and clean-up efforts, as well as other necessary repairs to the aging system of pipes, the utilities department is asking the city to increase the department’s anticipated annual repair expenditures from $500,000 to $2 million.

Kalkat said the repairs will “restore the full pumping capacity of the lift station and eliminate wastewater piping within the storm-water conflict structures. This will provide a high level of service to the residents and businesses in the area and eliminate the risk of additional issues with the existing piping or impacts to the Intracoastal Waterway.”

The city had solicited bids to replace the pipe, but the sole bid was too high, Kalkat told commissioners. The city had been about to re-advertise for bids when the pipe broke.

City officials estimated that 12 million gallons of wastewater emptied into the Intracoastal in the three days following the July 3 break. The cleanup by Boynton Beach is ongoing.

Deputy City Manager Andrew Mack said city crews worked 24-hour shifts alongside crews from Johnson-Davis, an emergency utility company hired by the city.

The workers cut out the broken section of 50-year-old pipe, patched it and created a bypass system.

“It was an all-hands-on-deck situation,” Mack said. “It was contained quickly and well.”

Kalkat said the emergency contractor would like to replace the clay pipe with PVC pipe and would like to do the work now, while the street is closed and the ground is open.

The city manager’s office said the costs of the cleanup were still being calculated in late July, but Johnson-Davis’ bill so far was $800,000.

“The city will continue to clean up the waterway, work on necessary repairs and replacing the pipe. The water in the Intracoastal will continue to be tested,” the city said.

“It is important to note that this spill is contained to a limited section of the Intracoastal Waterway,” city officials announced after the leak was repaired. “Residents are safe and drinking water was unaffected and continues to remain safe.”

Boynton Beach may be ordered to pay fines as part of several enforcement tools the DEP has to address any identified violations, a spokeswoman said.

Depending on the nature of the violation and circumstances surrounding the event, the DEP will determine which measure is best-suited. Enforcement can also necessitate restoration and/or remediation actions through a consent order or other enforcement mechanism, the spokeswoman added.