Yet another sewage spill, this time in Fort Lauderdale | Thumb down

Treasure Coast Newspapers Editorial Board | Treasure Coast Newspapers

Ho-hum, just another day in Florida, with yet another sewage spill.

More than 1 million gallons of raw sewage spilled from a broken pipe in Fort Lauderdale beginning Dec. 10, with much of the ooze finding its way into the Tarpon River. Workers dressed in hazmat suits scooped scores of dead fish from the murky water, while nearby residents remained inside to avoid the stench.

Wouldn't it be nice if stories like these were an anomaly in Florida, rather than a common occurrence?

Last year, a Gatehouse Media investigation found that since 2009, there have been nearly 23,000 sewage spills in Florida, releasing some 1.6 billion gallons of wastewater — including more than 370 million gallons of untreated sewage.

As in many other parts of Florida, the sewer infrastructure in Fort Lauderdale is aging and in need of costly repairs; the main that broke Dec. 10 was identified as needing replacement in 2010, but the project was never funded.

With communities around the state struggling to find money for upgrades, expect ever more of these sad, and smelly, situations.