211 million gallons of sewage spilled into Florida city waterways

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. - Fort Lauderdale officials say 211.6 million gallons of sewage has spilled into the city's waterways in the past few months.

The Sun-Sentinel reports that’s enough to fill 320 Olympic-sized pools.

The city’s aging sewer pipes broke six times in December and spewed 126.9 million gallons of sewage — ranking as one of South Florida’s biggest spills ever. The spills fouled the Tarpon River, the Himmarshee Canal and streets in three neighborhoods.

According to what officials told the state Department of Environmental Protection, 79.3 million gallons spilled into George English Lake over a 10-day period that began Jan. 30 and ended Feb. 8. Then an additional 5.4 million gallons flooded streets near a park right across from a popular mall.

In recent weeks, crews also have rushed to fix another string of water main breaks, forcing the city to warn residents to boil their tap water before drinking, brushing their teeth or washing dishes.