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HomeMy WebLinkAboutLTC 047-2026 UPDATE ON THE IMPLEMENTATION OF OPERATION CLEAN WATER PROGRAM - #15MIAMI BEACH OFFICE OF THE CITY MANAGER LTC #047-2026 TO: FROM: DATE: SUBJECT: LETTER TO COMMISSION Honorable Mayor Steven Meiner and Members of the City Commission Eric Carpenter, City Manager v� J February 10, 2026 UPDATE ON THE IMPLEMENTATION OF "OPERATION CLEAN WATER" PROGRAM -#15 The purpose of this Letter to Commission (L TC) is to provide the Mayor and City Commission with a summary of staff's efforts to date, as it relates to "Operation Clean Water," adopted on March 19, 2025, by Resolution No. 2025-33559. At the July 10, 2025 meeting of the Land Use and Sustainability Committee (LUSC), City staff provided an update on the North Beach Water Quality and Park View Canal Report. The discussion concluded with a motion, directing the Administration to provide weekly updates on the "Operation Clean Water'' efforts at the Park View Canal, with a focus on Biscayne Beach Elementary hotspots, associated lateral pipe-lining, above-ground cleanliness (alleyways, street sweeping, pressure washing), and homeless outreach. At the September 11, 2025 LUSC meeting, Committee members made a motion to move the item to the City Commission for discussion, with a favorable recommendation to: 1) Authorize an independent, third-party review of the Sanitary Sewer Pump Station 23; 2) Expand the monthly water quality study to authorize and fund weekly water testing in Park View Canal; 3) Expedite the comprehensive infrastructure study for North Beach; and to maintain Park View Canal as a standing item on the Committee's agenda for regular updates. In August 2025, the City of Miami Beach entered into a formal agreement with the University of Miami (UM) for the creation of an Ultraviolet Sanitization Pilot Project for street cleaning to reduce levels of enterococci entering the stormwater system. The pilot project aimed to clean the test area, 73rd Street (a documented "hot spot,") by increasing the frequency of mechanical street sweeping activities, remove visible debris and fecal deposits manually, and the use of ultra-violet (UV) light, an environmentally friendly technology that cleans without leaving a chemical residue, to disinfect street surfaces. The pilot project's cleaning and testing phases were completed on October 17, 2025. A draft report was provided to Public Works and Environment & Sustainability Departments for review, and comments were provided to the University of Miami on January 28, 2026. The final report will be shared in February 2026 upon receipt of the minor clarifications. On August 8, 2025, the pipe-lining contractor, Vortex Infrastructure Services, LLC (Vortex), mobilized at Biscayne Beach Elementary and began cleaning lateral lines and performing closed­circuit television (CCTV) inspections through existing sewer system access points. The scope of work that was successfully performed by Vortex included the cleaning of 1,320 LF of pipe, the lining of approximately 1,100 LF of pipe, the installation and/or replacement of 12 cleanouts, the performance of 5 point-repairs due to collapsed pipes, rebar obstructions, or cleanout complications, and the plugging off of cleanout 1 B (CO1 B) in the School's courtyard. All work was coordinated with the Miami-Dade County School Board and Biscayne Beach Elementary representatives. There are varying standards for enterococci in marine waters and they are dependent on factors such as the classification of a water body, flushing rates, and proposed use of the waterways (i.e. recreation type). The Florida Department of Health (FDOH) Healthy Beaches standard for enterococci is 70 MPN/100ml, the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (FDEP) standard for enterococci in Class 111 Waters is 130 M PN/100ml, and the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) standard for enterococci for kayaking in calm waters is 371 MPN/100ml. The sampling map is as follows: DERM issued a Class II permit for seven Downstream Defender hydrodynamic separator/water quality structures on Friday August 1, 2025, allowing the City to move forward with the final design and the procurement process. Construction is scheduled to commence in the first quarter of 2026. On December 9, 2025, Governor Desantis issued a press release to announce grant awards for Biscayne Bay Water Quality Improvement Grants. The City of Miami Beach was selected as a recipient of one of eight grants, in the amount of $426,750 to account for the construction of the Downstream Defenders along Park View Canal. In the meanwhile, routine maintenance efforts for the existing stormwater structures from 72nd to 77th Streets, between Dickens Avenue and Collins Avenue remain ongoing. The Public Works and Communications Departments worked together on the design and copy of the "FROG can Clog" and "Don't Grease the Streets" public outreach to decrease contamination to the Bay. As part of the outreach campaign, both designs were displayed on the side of three waste collection trucks. Below are photographs of two of them: Stormwater drain markers were ordered and are being placed throughout Parkview Island and Parkview extended area (72nd Street -76th Street) at stormwater inlets. Installation of the drain markers at approximately 100 locations was completed during the week of December 15. Below is a sample of the markers installed: