Replacing aging water and sewer infrastructure in Miami Beach contributes to the protection and preservation of Biscayne Bay. Many of Miami Beach's water and sewer pipes are reaching or have already surpassed their intended lifespan. Over time, these pipes deteriorate, become brittle, and are more prone to leaks, breaks, and failures. By installing new infrastructure, the City can ensure a reliable and efficient sewer system that minimizes the risk of disruptions and water quality issues. The Public Works Department is providing the following update requested by the referral regarding the existing Master Plan and the City’s Five-Year Water & Sewer Critical Needs Plan, with a particular focus on a detailed assessment of the existing water and sewer infrastructure in the North Beach area to identify areas with the highest probability for replacement.
In 2021, the City experienced 10 sanitary sewer main breaks resulting in over 600,000 gallons released and five sanitary sewer main breaks in 2022 resulting in over 370,000 gallons released. In 2023 there were six sewer main breaks with approximately 193,200 gallons discharge flow estimated. The repairs of the breaks cost several million dollars in emergency repairs.
General Water and Sewer Program
Critical needs master plan water and sewer projects are estimated to cost more than $300 million and 85% of them are in progress. The Public Works Department is currently managing the design and permitting of 34 critical needs projects and 14 construction critical needs projects. To date, nine construction projects have been completed as follows:
- the replacement of the Dade Boulevard Sewer Force Main from Belle Isle to Michigan Avenue,
- the replacement of the water main under Collins Canal at Jefferson Avenue,
- odor control improvements at various pump stations,
- sanitary pump station 18 rehabilitation,
- valve replacement at pumps station 28,
- sanitary pump station 31 rehabilitation,
- trenchless rehabilitation of gravity mains and manholes for inflow and infiltration (I&I) reduction at Parkview,
- the replacement of the water main and sewer force main along Venetian Causeway, between Belle Isle and Rivo Alto Island,
- Advanced Meter Infrastructure implementation
Two additional projects are anticipated to be completed in the near future as follows:
- Trenchless rehabilitation of gravity mains and manholes for I&I reduction at Star, Palm and Hibiscus Islands.
- Rehabilitation of two water mains on the MacArthur Bridge.
North Beach Projects Update
Between 2022-2023, the Public Works Department completed various water and sewer projects in the Parkview Island and Park View Canal area. This included executed critical repairs where deficiencies were identified such as the replacement of 150 feet of an 8 inch main in 2022 and the completion of phase I of the Parkview Gravity Sewer Trenchless Rehabilitation project consisting of the lining about 90% of pipes and 30% of manholes in early 2023. Additionally, the following projects were completed:
- Sanitary sewer PS 19 discharge force main repair in October 2022
- Identified and repair a leak on Town of Bal Harbour Island force main, which was impacting the canal in summer of 2023
- Sanitary sewer PS 23 Maintenance R&R in 2023
- 18 ARV replacements along Sewer PS 23 and PS 24 discharge FM in early 2023
- Additional dye testing of sanitary sewer pressure pipes in 2023
Further sanitation enhancements were made to address the above-ground cleanliness on Parkview Island as follows:
- Added rain domes to the public trash bins to minimize leakage
- Increased the frequency of hand crew cleanings from once a week to twice a week where Public Works crews clean debris from sidewalks, gutters, and the right of way.
- Increased the frequency of mechanical street sweeping on Parkview Island to twice per week.
- Increased the cleaning of public litter cans to twice day from once a day (7 days a week).
Moreover, $500,000 for dredging design and permitting has been approved within the current budget to improve flushing and remove sediment and marine debris. A consultant has been selected from an authorized vendor pool and an on-site visit was performed on November 3rd. The draft proposal has been received and is currently under review by City staff; the scope includes required surveys and the design and permitting.
In addition, the Public Works Department is leading multiple projects that are ongoing in the North Beach area as follows:
- Phase II North Beach and Parkview extended Area Trenchless Rehab that is anticipated to cost over $2.5 Million,
- Sanitary sewer PS 19 discharge force main replacement
- Water quality improvements to stormwater outfalls that discharge into the Park View Island Canal
- North Shore D – NBTC NIP Preliminary Engineering
• A $10 Million grant agreement was executed for the design of North Shore D improvements to include new stormwater conveyance, water quality treatment (including trash racks, vortex separator, and injection wells to capture 1st flush), and a new pump station and outfall
BISCAYNE BAY TASK FORCE
The referral also requested an update of the Biscayne Bay Task Force Recommendations (ATTACHMENT A). On August 31, 2020, the Board of County Commissioners passed a resolution directing the County Mayor provide an implementation plan for immediate action, including feasibility, cost, and potential fund sources. The report focuses on three main areas: water quality, leadership, and education. The report highlighted the need for collaboration and long-term commitment from Municipal, County, State and Federal agencies as well as community organizations to restore the health of the Bay.
The 62 BBTF recommendations are broken into seven categories for County action: Water Quality, Governance, Infrastructure, Natural Infrastructure, Marine Debris, Education & Outreach, and Funding.
The Task Force Recommendations were discussed at the January 2021 City Commission, and staff presented a review of the recommendations that were applicable to Miami Beach. Key recommendations applicable to Miami Beach included a Fertilizer Ordinance to reduce nutrient loading causing pollution (adopted January 2021), establishing and enhancing our natural shorelines and incorporating green infrastructure and living shorelines into city projects, and reducing sediment loads that enter the stormwater system and runoff from private property and construction sites through a Water Quality Ordinance (adopted July 2021).
ADDITIONAL ACTIONS TO IMPROVE WATER QUALITY IN BISCAYNE BAY
Over the last three years the City has made great progress to improve water quality and the health of Biscayne Bay through Habitat Restoration, Land Use and Coastal Resilience, Public Outreach and Education, and Monitoring and Research.
Monitoring and Research
As part of the 1972 Clean Water Act, the National Pollution Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permit program was created to regulate pollution from point discharges into U.S. waters. Miami Beach is one of 32 municipal NPDES co-permittees with Miami-Dade County to own and operate the municipal separate storm sewer system. As part of the NPDES program, the City completes an annual report that evaluates and outlines the City’s activities related to stormwater management and the program focuses heavily on preventing pollution at its source. For example, the City has increased stormwater system maintenance and increased the frequency of street sweeping which helps to reduce nutrient loads.
However, it should be noted that nutrient loads from Miami Beach are considerably lower than inflows from the mainland. In 2020, the City retained Ardurra, an interdisciplinary engineering firm, to complete Biscayne Bay Nutrient Loading Estimates to better understand the extent of the City’s loading contributions to the Bay. The report outlines that Miami Beach’s drainage area represents 1.8% of the total contributing area to the north Bay and contributes 0.9% of all in flows. Of these inflows itis estimated that runoff from the City contributes 2.4% of phosphorus loads and 0.5% of nitrogen loads. These numbers were approximated using a conservative method. It is expected that the real loading from the City is lower than represented in the report.
Land Use and Coastal Resilience
In policy, the City has passed several ordinances that aim to mitigate the impacts of sea-level rise, consider the long-term health of Biscayne Bay through reduction of nutrients and pollutants, and incorporate sustainable and resilient principles.
As high nutrients are one of the major contributors to the decline of Biscayne Bay, the Fertilizer Ordinance was passed to reduce the amount of nutrients entering the City’s waterways and ultimately the Bay by establishing a prohibited application period and best management practices for fertilizer use.
While infrastructure upgrades are planned and implemented to reduce impacts to Biscayne Bay, the City passed the Water Quality Ordinance to regulate non-stormwater discharges and pollutants into the City’s municipal separate storm sewer system, Biscayne Bay, and surface waters. The ordinance details requirements for land-disturbing activities like construction, best management practices, and illicit discharges and is enforced through environmental plan review and inspection programs to reduce sanitary sewer overflows and construction run-off. The Seawall Ordinance was passed in 2021 to protect the public’s health, welfare, and safety by ensuring shoreline protection structures are designed with application of consistent standards that account for future tidal flood conditions and ensure low structures are properly maintained or upgraded. This ordinance also supports water quality, as overtopped seawalls results in sediment, fertilizers, and additional pollutants to directly impact the Bay.
Habitat Restoration
The City is a leader in designing new parks and greenspaces that increase biodiversity, ecosystem benefits, improve water quality, and incorporate infrastructure upgrades through the implementation of blue-green infrastructure. An example of this can be seen with the completion and opening of Brittany Bay Park in March 2023. The renovation of the park included a new seawall and a living shoreline area planted with mangrove trees and other native, resilient coastal wetland plant species, and an overlook. The City installed an estimated 500 linear feet of living shoreline with 680 mangroves (36 white mangroves, 546 red mangroves and 98 black mangroves). Maurice Gibb Park, under construction, includes a doubling of hybrid living shoreline and mangroves. Monument Island funded within the FY 2025 budget process includes ecosystem restoration and passive use designed to improve both land and aquatic habitat.
Most recently, the City engaged Cummins Cederberg, Inc. to assess the viability of implementing living shorelines along existing City-owned seawall segments. The viability of each site was assessed based on length, water depths, structure condition, navigation impacts, upland use, constructability, and wave exposure. Design and permitting at multiple sites across the City, including Mid-Beach Park, Beach View Park, and W. 40th Street are underway, to implement living shorelines and mangrove plantings in these areas. It is important to note that 91% of seawalls are privately owned, however, the City does encourage hybrid living shorelines within the Seawall Ordinance.
Artificial reef projects such as the University of Miami’s Laboratory for Integrative Knowledge (ULINK) pilot project and the ReefLine are being prioritized within the City. The City is partnering with the ULINK Coastal Resilience Team on an innovative project to develop and test coastal resilience strategies that combine grey and green infrastructures to reduce the vulnerability of coastal communities. Artificial reef modules were deployed in 2023 and monitoring is ongoing. The Reefline, with $5 million in funding from the GO Bond, will be installed off the coast of Miami Beach near 4th Street, providing a critical habitat for endangered reef organisms, promoting biodiversity and enhancing coastal resilience.
Public Education and Outreach
The City has launched a variety of programs to provide education centered around the health of Biscayne Bay. The We Heart Biscayne campaign was launched in 2022 to focus and educate the public on pollution in Biscayne Bay through social media, website and newsletter updates, online and in-person events such as Sustainachella and Yappy Hour. The three arms of the campaign are “Don’t Fertilize the Bay”, “Don’t Be Ruff on the Bay”, and “Don’t Be Trashy” and serve to educate the public of the effects that improper fertilizer use, pet waste, and litter can have on Biscayne Bay and encourages the public to do their part to address these issues.
Finally, the City’s #PlasticFreeMB program aims to showcase businesses that have taken action to reduce plastics from their establishment and to help organizations learn and implement best practices in the area of environmental stewardship. This program is important to reduce single use plastics in our environment. The City Commission approved a plastic free pouring rights agreement to provide packaged water and soda in aluminum bottles and cans in March of 2022.