LTC 188-2004 20-Inch Water Main Distribution Line Break
CITY OF MIAMI BEACH
Office of the City Manager
Letter to Commission No. 188-2004
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From:
Mayor David Dermer and
Members of the City Commission
Jorge M. Gonzalez \ ~ -/
City Manager U 0
20-INCH WATER MAIN DISTRIBUTION LINE BREAK
Date: July 19, 2004
To:
Subject:
This LTC is to provide you information about a major water line break and our response to
this emergency this past weekend.
On Saturday, July 17, 2004, at approximately 8:15 p.m., the Public Works Control Room
received a phone call from a resident saying that a large amount of water was present at
the intersection of Royal Palm Avenue and 30th Street. An employee from the Control
Room Service Desk was dispatched to the site for an inspection and found that a 20-inch
diameter water main running north and south had burst west of the intersection causing
major flooding to a three-block area. This 20-inch water main distribution line provides
domestic water to the Middle Beach neighborhood residents. (It is the same size pipe that
was installed three years ago on Collins Avenue.) The front end of emergency truck driven
by the Control Room employee dropped into the sinkhole but the employee was able to
leave the vehicle safely.
Emergency stand-by crews were called immediately and reported to the site within one
hour. Due to the severe water break, it was necessary to close eight water valves in a five-
block area. This was intensive work, locating water valves during night hours in flooded
streets. Crews had to use metal detectors to locate valve covers, with two valve covers
buried in landscape areas. The flow of water was controlled at approximately 2:00 a.m.
Sunday, July 18.
An advisory notice was delivered to 40 homeowners in the area directing them to boil water
as a precautionary measure once the water service was restored. In addition, we used the
reverse 911 system to update residents about the water line break. This system was used
for the first time to alert and update residents of a major utility disruption.
Preparation began to de-water the sink hole at 2:30 a.m. Sunday morning. This was time
consuming as crews had to wait for the initial flooding to cease from the surrounding areas
of the intersection. Multiple crews reported to the site at approximately 8:00 a.m. At this
time it was found that the 20-inch water line had a severe eight-foot crack at the bottom of
the pipe (see pictures attached). Additionally, staff found two other City-owned utility lines
were damaged in the same exact location caused by the force of the water main break. An
eight-inch diameter sanitary sewer line running east and west underneath the 20-inch water
main was ruptured and a 10-inch diameter storm water line 30 feet in length cracked in
several places.
Risk Management will be available to residents who may have suffered property damage
due to water levels.
Once the damaged section of the water pipe was cut and removed, sewer crews started
working on the eight-inch diameter sanitary sewer line three-foot section, seven feet in
depth. This was intensive work as crews had to work in controlling the ground water levels
due to high tide and rain showers. At approximately 4:00 p.m., the new 20-inch water line
section, 13-feet in length, was lowered into place with sleeve connections at each end of
the pipe, along with another crew replacing the damaged 1 O-inch diameter section of storm
water pipe.
At 5:00 p.m., crews started opening water valves to start pressurizing the 20-inch water
main to check for leaks at the pipe end connections, and none were found. Per Heath
Department requirements, the new section of water pipe was chlorinated and flushed for a
period of two hours. Water test samples were taken early Sunday evening and water was
back in service at 7:00 p.m.
Water testing continues for two consecutive days and a precautionary boil water advisory
remains in effect until bacteriological test results show that the water is safe to drink. Final
test results are due this coming Wednesday, July 21, 2004, at 1 :00 p.m., at which time
residents will be notified. The Streets Division crew has back-filled the sink hole and will
complete full pavement restoration by the end of this week. Staff did a commendable job
under very difficult circumstances.
The precautionary measures we have in place to address situations such as these all
worked well and we were able to mitigate more significant damage to our infrastructure and
minimize inconvenience to our residents.
Should 2';teed additional information, please contact me.
JMG\fH~MA\ch
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c: Robert C. Middaugh, Assistant City Manager
Fred H. Beckmann, Public Works Director
Michael Alvarez, Assistant Public Works Director
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