Recent laboratory testing with the City of Lake Worth Beach and the Florida Department of Environmental Protection has confirmed that the water in several areas now meets surface water quality standards for fecal-indicator bacteria. This means that the public can resume water-related activities in these areas without any further advisories.
However, an advisory remains in place for the surface water between South Congress Avenue and Florida Mango Road due to a sewer line rupture that occurred near Lake Worth Beach on April 9. A 36-inch line was damaged by a contractor working with AT&T near Florida Mango Road between Waterside Drive and the L-10 Canal. An estimated 3 to 5 million gallons of sewage were released before the line was repaired by the Lake Worth Utility District four days later.
The no-swim advisory and no irrigation restriction for residents and visitors have been lifted in several areas, including Lake Clarke, Lake Clarke Shores, L-10 Canal, L-9 Canal, Grassy Saw Lake, Lake Osborne, C-51/West Palm Beach Canal, and several canals in the vicinity. Crews have been working tirelessly to clean up the contaminated canals by using vacuum trucks to remove sewage and aerators to add oxygen back to the water.
A bypass was installed around the site of the leak to allow sewage to flow freely. Booms were placed upstream and downstream from the break to contain the spilled wastewater, which is being pumped out and recovered into the treatment system. For more information on the health effects of wastewater overflow, residents are advised to contact DOH-Palm Beach at 561-837-5900 or chd50contactus@flhealth.gov.
