Crime & Public Safety
Long-running water leak on North Flagler Drive in Fort Lauderdale prompts planned emergency repair
Broward County, Florida — A persistent underground water leak along North Flagler Drive in Fort Lauderdale has been acknowledged by the city after roughly eight years of intermittent flow.
The leak originates at a valve beneath a manhole cover and has been sending water down the side of the street where it pools. The city of Fort Lauderdale told reporters the valve has leaked in varying degrees every day since around 2018.
Utilities director Albert Carbon addressed questions about why the problem continued for years, noting staffing and prioritization decisions during that period and pointing to other recent pipeline outages and heavy rains as competing issues. City officials say funding is in place for an emergency repair estimated at $180,000, but a permit is required before crews can begin work.
The city also cautioned that crews do not yet know what they will find once they are working underground, so the duration of repairs remains uncertain. A local volunteer group, Everyday Advocates, raised public attention to the problem by alerting the city and posting about the leak on social media.
Group leaders expressed frustration at the timeline but said they expect the issue will eventually be fixed. For now, the situation remains that funding is allocated while permitting and on-site assessment are pending.
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