Wastewater Overflow in Palm Beach County: How the Health Department is Responding
On Friday, officials from the Florida Health Department in Palm Beach County lifted a health alert for several water bodies following a sewer line rupture near Lake Worth Beach on April 9. A 36-inch line was damaged when a contractor working with AT&T hit the sewer line near Florida Mango Road between Waterside Drive and the L-10 Canal. An estimated 3 million to 5 million gallons were dispersed until the line was fixed four days later by the Lake Worth Utility District.
Recent testing has shown that the water in these areas now meets surface water quality standards for fecal-indicator bacteria, allowing the public to resume water-related activities without restrictions. However, an advisory still remains for the surface water between South Congress Avenue and Florida Mango Road, including restrictions on swimming and irrigation. Drinking water has not been impacted by the incident.
Crews are actively working to clean up the contaminated canals, adding oxygen back to the water, and installing bypasses around the site of the leak to facilitate the movement of sewage. Containment booms have been placed up and downstream from the break to help contain the spilled wastewater, which is being pumped out and recovered into the wastewater treatment system.
For more information on potential health effects of wastewater overflow, residents can contact DOH-Palm Beach at 561-837-5900 or chd50contactus@flhealth.gov.
