The Utility Operations Division is responsible for the
maintenance and operation of the water and sewer infrastructure within the city
limits. This includes 52 miles of sanitary sewer main, 11 miles of force main,
1,200 manholes, 26 sewage pump stations, 58 miles of water main, 7,000 water main
valves, 600 fire hydrants, and over 7,000 services (water and sewer). The division
is broken into four crews. The crews are a water crew, a fire hydrant crew, a
sewer crew, and meter reading/customer service crew. The water main crew
maintains and repairs the water mains and services throughout the city. The crew
repairs water main breaks, water service breaks, and water meter leaks. The crew
also performs work order tasks from utility billing which include installing and
replacing water meters, and repairing water meter boxes.
The fire
hydrant crew repairs and maintains the 600+ fire hydrants in the city to make
sure they are functioning properly for fire protection. They perform the flow
testing for the fire department so the fire department can maintain their ISO
rating.
The sewer crew repairs and maintains 52 miles of gravity
sewer main, 11 miles of force main, and 1,200 manholes. The crew also performs
smoke testing as part of the sanitary sewer rehabilitation program. The sanitary
sewer program televises, cleans , and repairs sewer mains to keep the inflow and
infiltration I & I) down. The reason for keeping I & I in check is to
keep the city out of penalty with the Broward County Office of Environmental Services
for pumping too much sewage. As part of the sewer crew, the city has implemented
a lift station rehabilitation project, so the older lift stations can meet current
sewer flow demands and to become more economical and efficient.
The
customer service crew provides support for utility billing. A three-man crew provides
meter reading services and customer service. The meter readers read 26 routes
every month. When the meter readers are not reading the routes, they take care
of work orders. The customer service man turns on and off accounts for nonpayment,
final accounts, or new accounts. |
