Fort Lauderdale hit with $2.1M fine over sewage spills

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. – The city of Fort Lauderdale has been slapped with $2.1 million in fines by the state for a series of sewage spills.

The South Florida SunSentinel reports that the state Department of Environmental Protection originally imposed a $1.8 million fine. The number was increased because of additional sewage spills since then.

Environmental officials say the 211.6 million gallons (800 million liters) that leaked from December 2019 to February of this year is the largest sewage spill on record in Florida.

Fort Lauderdale officials must approve the order. It gives the city the chance to use some of the money for environmental projects such as mangrove restoration, seawalls or other water quality work.

City officials say they have a plan to shore up the sewage system. That includes stopping transfers of money from the utility fund to general government spending, according to city manager Chris Lagerbloom.