March 2022
As infrastructure work advances,
city plans for new water treatment plant
The city continues to make amazing progress in updating our infrastructure – to replace old underground pipes at risk of breaking and to enhance our capacity, as our population grows and as we seek ways to address the impact of climate change.
 
The most recent step the City Commission has taken is to expedite the replacement of the aging Fiveash Water Treatment Plant. We have agreed to negotiate a deal with a consortium led by IDE Technologies to build and operate a new plant that will be located next to our Prospect Wellfield site at Fort Lauderdale Executive Airport.
 
IDE comes to the table with major international experience in the development of water plants. By teaming up with them in this public-private partnership, we can construct the plant faster than if we had pursued traditional methods. 
 
Once we finalize a contract, IDE expects to be able to build the plant and have water production underway by 2025. The plant will use state-of-the-art technology, including nano-filtration and ion exchange, to produce clean, clear, high-quality water for our residents and visitors. Yes, clear water. There will no longer be any yellowish hue.
 
Why did the city have to replace the Fiveash plant? We’ve had two major reports tell us that the 68-year-old facility has a real risk of failure. It would likely not withstand the impact of a major hurricane, and the consultant tell us that renovation and upgrades are no longer a viable option. 
The new water treatment plant is not the only news to share when it comes to city infrastructure.
 
This past month, we saw even more evidence of the urgency of that last goal – to ensure Fort Lauderdale is a resilient community that is as protected as possible from sea-level rise and flooding.
 
A special task force of the federal government issued the 2022 Sea Level Rise Technical Report, and the data is quite disturbing. The report stated that the rise in ocean height over the next 30 years could equal the total rise seen during the past 100 years.
 
This means that sea levels along the coastline is expected to rise between 10 to 12 inches above today's current levels by 2050. It also reports an upward trend in the frequency and intensity of high tide coastal flooding events, such as our annual autumn King Tides. Hurricane storm surges will also increase and stretch farther inland.
 
This report should be a wake-up call to all coastal cities, and we need to take the critical steps necessary to address our vulnerabilities and be prepared for the future.
 
This City Commission has taken the lead in prioritizing climate resiliency. 
 
The city's infrastructure master plan incorporates sea-level rise predictions and how they will affect our way of life. The city is investing $200 million through stormwater bonds to alleviate flooding vulnerabilities. 
 
At the beginning of this year, we broke ground on the largest stormwater projects in city history: simultaneous drainage initiatives in two of the most flood-prone areas – the Edgewood and River Oaks neighborhoods.
 
Today in River Oaks, city contractors have cleaned and inspected more than 3,000 linear feet of existing drainage pipes. And, they have removed and replaced over 450 linear feet of old water mains.
 
This $26 million investment is running on schedule and on budget, with a completion date scheduled for January 2025.
 
In Edgewood, stormwater upgrades have also been progressing quickly.
 
To date, 20 structures and more than 2,000 feet of reinforced concrete piping have been installed. An additional four construction phases will progress east through the neighborhood and are scheduled to be complete by fall 2024.
 
Five other neighborhoods will receive drainage and stormwater improvements in the coming years: Victoria Park, Durrs, Dorsey Riverbend, Southeast Isles, and Progresso Village. 
 
After the record-breaking rainfall that we experienced in 2020, Fort Lauderdale has also been acting quickly to improve drainage in the heavily impacted Melrose Park neighborhood. A design for a new stormwater management system is now underway to add an estimated $30 million into the infrastructure of the Melrose area. 
But that’s not all.
 
Our six miles of coastline is more than just an economic engine for the city, it’s also a critical natural protective barrier against storm surge. The Army Corps of Engineers is currently renourishing parts of our beach in response to the erosion caused by Hurricane Irma.
 
You may have already noticed the crews and construction cranes on the shore adding sand. This work will be complete next month.
 
Public Works crews also have installed more than 185 tidal valves to reduce tidal flooding on roadways with direct outfalls to the city's 165 miles of waterways.
 
Another effort is improving the city seawalls.
 
At the start of this year, we marked the completion of the Cordova Road seawall project. This two-year investment involved rebuilding a half-mile section of seawall and increasing its height to reduce flooding and protect property and infrastructure from storm surges during hurricanes.
 
The project also included upgrading the seawall's drainage systems, creating larger swales and improving the water connections along the wall for private boat docks. 
 
As part of the seawall replacement program, the city is planning to replace four Las Olas seawalls, two seawalls on Hendricks Isle and the Southeast 10th Street seawall. 
 
Yours,
 
 
Dean
Mayor Trantalis celebrates International Woman's Day at the "Excuse Me, That's My Seat" Leadership Conference.
Mayor Trantalis and city leaders celebrate the ground-breaking of THRIVE, a new mixed-use hub for businesses and artists in Progresso Village.
Mayor Trantalis attends NSU Art Museum's Neighbor Day, when the last Sunday of every month is free admission for all Fort Lauderdale residents.
Mayor Trantalis signs off on the bonds to initiate infrastructure projects on Las Olas Isles.
Mayor Trantalis greets neighbors during the 43rd annual Sistrunk Parade and Festival.
Mayor Trantalis attends the opening of Inter Miami CF's new season.
Mayor Trantalis meets with Bob Wisehart of the Iron Workers Union.
Mayor Trantalis speaks on a panel with the Broward - Miami Realtors Association.
Mayor Trantalis and members of SunServe attend the Safe Schools rally in Esplanade Park.
Mayor Trantalis and mayors from across Broward County play a game of soccer in the annual Marley Cup.
Mayor Trantalis, Shenika "Nik" Harris, and Commissioner Glassman attend the Human Rights Campaign's South Florida dinner.
Mayor Trantalis and Commissioner Glassman are joined by Dan Linblade and Tim Petrillo during the Greater Fort Lauderdale Chamber of Commerce's luncheon.