LTC 521-2017 Update on the 54-Inch Redundant Force MainMIAMIBEACH
City of Miami Beach, 1700 Convention Center Drive, Miami Beach, Florida 33139, www.miamibeachfl.aov
Jimmy L. Morales, City Manager
Tel: 305-673-7010 , Fax: 305-673-7782
NO. LTC #
521-2017
LETTER TO COMMISSION
TO: Mayor Philip Levine and Members of the City C•mmission
FROM: Jimmy L. Morales, City Manager
DATE: October 30, 2017
SUBJECT: UPDATE ON THE 54 -INCH REDUNDANT FORCE MAIN
The purpose of this Letter to Commission is to advise the public that a new 54 inch redundant force main,
located from Jefferson Avenue and 11 Street extending easterly along 11 Street, and southerly along
Euclid Avenue and then Washington Avenue, was activated and made operational on Tuesday, October
17th.
This last leg of the City of Miami Beach sanitary sewer collection system is a concrete pipe force main
installed in 1977 that conveys a daily wastewater flow of approximately 24 million gallons a day for
treatment by the Miami Dade County Water and Sewer Department (WASD) at the Central Treatment
Plant on Virginia Key.
The force main is of importance since it conveys almost the entire volume of sanitary sewer flow for the
City. Pipe failure could prove catastrophic to the Miami Beach community; causing discharge of millions of
gallons of raw sewerage that could have affected safety, human health, coastal environment, and local
business operations.
In February of 2012, Pure Technologies submitted a Condition Assessment Report of the existing 54 inch
concrete force main connecting to the WASD force main that travels under Government Cut. It was
discovered of the 260 pipes analyzed, 8 pipes (3%) were found with electromagnetic anomalies
representing broken steel pre -stressing wire wraps.
Although these anomalies did not pose an imminent threat to the performance of the City's sanitary sewer
service, the construction of a redundant 54 inch force main was chosen over just repairing the existing
known compromised pipe sections. A second pipe would ensure sanitary sewer service in the event of
an emergency or during maintenance operations. In addition, the intent would be to rehabilitate the
existing 54 inch force main after bringing the new 54 inch force main into service.
The construction included the installation of approximately 5300 linear feet of 54 inch force main and
broke ground in August of 2015. On Tuesday, October 17th, the new 54 inch redundant force main was
activated and officially put in operation. The new force main will serve the City of Miami Beach for a
minimum of 80 years and makes sure that the City has a redundant system should a pipe failure of the
old 54" pipe occur.
JM/ETC/JJ