In 2016, the pump stations located at 5th Street, 6th Street, 10th Street and 14th Street were brought online. Since then, sediment and dark water plumes have been observed during rain events as well as dry periods. In order to respond to these incidents, the City has enhanced its stormwater maintenance by responding proactively with regular street sweeping, litter collection, and environmental inspections to keep trash and debris out of the stormwater system and reduce inputs into the bay.

One area of continued concern has been the dark, tannic discharges from the outfall at 6th Street. The stormwater collection basin for this outfall is extensive and covers from West Avenue east to Ocean Drive and includes sections of the Flamingo Park Neighborhood. The City conducted water quality tests for over 100 parameters to identify any potential concerns. These parameters included petroleum, trace elements, volatile organic compounds, and semi-volatile organic compounds. The stormwater was tested before and after it entered the pump station.  The samples came back with high sulfur only, which indicates ground water. The City is currently updating the design to remove the aging culvert that appears to have been the major contributing factor to the tannic water and is working with DERM to obtain the necessary permits to complete this upgrade.

The City takes protecting the water quality of Biscayne Bay very seriously. In 2016, the City launched an enhanced water quality sampling program to augment Miami-Dade County’s existing water quality sampling network. This program added more than sixty stations to cover areas of Biscayne Bay closer to our shoreline and within our waterways for which data has historically not been collected. The data from this program gives a more robust snapshot of local water quality and allows City staff to make better informed stormwater management decisions.

In 2018, the City completed the first year of data collection and retained an outside water quality expert, Dr. Charles Rowney, to provide feedback on the City’s sampling program. Based on his analysis of the Miami Beach water quality sampling program and the data collected during the monitoring period, it was concluded that there is no indication of sanitary system leaking into the City’s stormwater system and Biscayne Bay.

The City continues to evaluate and refine our stormwater program.