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The City of Miami Beach continues to implement Operation Clean Water to address water quality issues in the Park View Canal. The effort covers several projects aimed at reducing the pollution and making the water cleaner overall. Here’s a quick look at what’s been done so far and what’s coming up next for the city.

Enhanced Watershed Sanitation Plan

In August 2025, Dr. Solo-Gabriele, Assistant Dean at the University of Miami, was invited to conduct a pilot study using UV disinfectant technology along 73 Street between Harding Avenue and Abbott Avenue in North Beach, an area identified as a main bacteria hot spot found in earlier UM studies. The pilot study proved that cleaning streets and sidewalks helps get rid of dirt and bacteria and that UV technology looks promising but needs significant engineering work before it’s ready for full use. The final takeaway was to step up industrial street cleaning, enforce the street parking schedule in North Beach so cleaning trucks can actually reach the curbs and add sidewalk cleaning to the program.

The city now has a ramped-up street cleaning schedule in the North Beach Watershed. The sanitation crew does machine and hand sweeping three times a week—Monday, Wednesday, and Friday—covering 71 to 75 Streets, between Dickens Avenue and Collins Avenue. Alleyways from 73 to 76 Streets get special attention with Mul-T-Hog machines on Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday. Trash cans are emptied every day, and pet waste dispensers are restocked twice a week. The city’s also looking into whether they can add hand-cleaning and eco-friendly disinfectants for those hot spot areas and getting the needed approvals.

North Beach Water Quality (Hydrodynamic Separators)

Previously, the city considered updating the existing stormwater system in the Park View Canal watershed with bar racks to block larger pieces of debris from entering the waterways. After consideration, the city decided to move forward with more advanced water treatment devices called hydrodynamic separators (HDS) at seven known hot spots in the larger Park View basin. These devices use continuous deflective separation – a combination of swirl concentration and indirect screening to separate and trap debris, sediment, and floating trash from stormwater runoff. Above is a schematic of one type of HDS in the market that could be used for the project.

An advantage to HDS devices is that it can be easily cleaned with VacTruks on a regular schedule. Since floating trash often carries bacteria that cause contamination, getting rid of the debris is expected to help reduce the bacteria levels.

The city has received regulatory approval from the necessary agencies for the HDS systems and has also received grant funding from the State of Florida. The city is now completing the final designs and will begin selecting a contractor. Construction on these HDS units is set to kick off in early 2027.

Weekly Water Quality Testing

The city commission gave the green light for weekly water testing by Eurofin Environment Testing for the 2026 fiscal year. Samples are collected from five main hot spots along the Park View Canal. So far, there have been 31 rounds of testing. Initial results show that bacteria levels in the canal spike after it rains, supporting the findings from two UM water quality reports that stormwater runoff picks up and carries street pollution. The lowest enterococci readings were found in February, a dry month. Water quality samples are highly variable and are not yet meeting the beach swimming targets.

Right now, the city’s wrapping up a force main replacement that runs along the Park View Canal and Tatum Waterway. Back in October the force main broke. Emergency crews have been working to fix it, and you can find more details about the project here. The city plans to monitor the area for any natural groundwater cleanup.

For more information and updates on water quality advisories please visit the Park View Canal website. Miami Beach Rising Above - Park View Canal.

Nanobubble Technology

The use of nanobubbles can greatly improve water quality in the canal by using special generators to create tiny bubbles (less than 200 nanometers in size) that stay suspended in the water. These nanobubbles help dissolve gases like oxygen that help accelerate biological processes and the natural breakdown of contaminants. TyLin is the selected consultant and has proposed a one-year pilot program. The consultant has submitted all required documents for the permitting phase. The Army Corps of Engineers permit has been issued, and additional permits are pending.

North Beach Infrastructure Analysis

The city has requested a comprehensive infrastructure analysis to review the city’s sewer collection and transmission system, and the water transmission system. This analysis aims at understanding how increasing Floor Area Ratio (FAR), population growth and new developments would impact the water and sewer systems in North Beach. Hazen and Sawyer have been selected as the consultant and started this study in February 2026. A final report is expected to be delivered at the end of September. 

Pump Station 23 Assessment

The city commissioned CHA Consulting, Inc. to assess Pump Station 23 (PS 23) and nearby municipal infrastructure to determine potential impacts on canal water quality. PS 23 is located on 75 Street, adjacent to the Park View Canal. The assessment found PS 23 to be in fair condition with a low risk of failure, though its location near the Park View Canal warrants ongoing maintenance. The assessment found no evidence of active sanitary discharges from PS 23 but noted that stormwater systems could contribute during rain events, emphasizing the importance of maintaining inlets and practicing good housekeeping.

Hawthorne Avenue Emergency Force Main Replacement

In 2025, the Hawthorne Avenue force main failed at the parcel jointly owned by School Board and City of Miami Beach adjacent to the Biscayne Elementary School before the end of its useful life. The city is currently replacing the force main as an emergency project. The emergency project extends from PS 23 at 75 Street and Dickens Avenue, heading north under the Tatum Waterway to PS 24 at 81 Street and Hawthorne Avenue. The force main replacement is in its final stages of construction and will prevent further Sanitary Sewer Overflows (SSO) and help improve water quality in the area. Visit the project page to learn more about Hawthorne Avenue force main replacement.

Pick Up After Your Pet

Pet waste can take a huge toll on public health and the environment if it is not cleaned up and disposed of properly. When pet waste enters the drains, it degrades our waterways.



City code Sec. 10-13 mandates pet owners to clean up after their pets, with citations for non-compliance. To assist, the city provides doggie-dispenser bags near dog parks and green spaces, refilled twice weekly in Park View Island and nearby areas, with daily waste collection. Report violations to Code Compliance at 305.604.CITY (2489). 

Water Quality Webpage

To provide residents and visitors with the best information possible, the city has published the Water Quality webpage as a resource for water recreation, pollution prevention, and water sampling and testing. Follow the link to learn more about water protection and improvements. Water Quality - City of Miami Beach

Contact

For more information, please contact the North Beach Neighborhood Affairs Coordinator Nicholas Levy at, nicholaslevy@miamibeachfl.gov.

To learn more about the city’s projects and innovative initiatives, visit www.miamibeachfl.gov/NAD.

To request this material in alternate format, sign language interpreter (5-day notice required), information on access for persons with disabilities, and/or any accommodation to review any document or participate in any city-sponsored proceedings, call 305.604.2ADA (2232) (voice), select 1 (English) or 2 (Spanish) and leave a message with your request. TTY users may call via 711 (Florida Relay Service). You can also make requests online at www.miamibeachfl.gov/ada by selecting ADA request.