Officials say 211.6m gallons of sewage has spilled into Fort Lauderdale waterways in the past few months.

The Sun-Sentinel reported that that was enough to fill 320 Olympic-sized pools.

The city’s ageing sewer pipes broke six times in December and spewed 126.9m 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, 79.3m gallons spilled into George English Lake over a 10-day period that began on 30 January and ended on 8 February. Then an additional 5.4m gallons flooded streets near 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.