Hialeah Council Votes to Invest Millions to Renovate Abandoned Water and Sewer Systems

Hialeah City Council, which has not made significant improvements to its water and sewer system in 20 years, voted unanimously Tuesday to allocate $14.8 million for improvements, from building new pumping stations, replacing water pipes, cleaning and restoring log covers. and repair of the sewer network.

The lack of maintenance has generated significant challenges for the city over the years. Pumping stations currently operate beyond the 10-hour daily limit set by Miami-Dade County, which has made it difficult for companies and developers to obtain permits to build new projects or improve existing ones.

Kevin Linskey, the public works director who oversees the Hialeah Water and Sewer Department, said many pump stations that cover up to a third of the water and sewer system have been operating beyond the normal limit of 5,000 gallons per mile of piping. In some cases, these pumping stations flow up to five times their intended capacity.

The improvements the city approved Tuesday are intended to ensure long-term system reliability and save costs for residents. Linskey’s detailed explanation to the city council of the water and sewer problems marked the first time a public works director has publicly addressed the need for maintenance and repair of the system. Linskey became director of public works in March 2023, after Armando Vidal, who held the job for 25 years, retired.

At the Sept. 10 council meeting before the new budget was approved, Linskey told the council that problems with the water and sewer system “have significantly slowed development.”

The city has approved a $162 million budget for public works for the new fiscal year, a substantial 25 percent increase over last year. Of that funding, $31.7 million will come from the American Rescue Plan, a federal initiative to help economic recovery after the COVID-19 pandemic.

The city also plans to spend $40.4 million over the next five years to repair and improve the water and sewer system.

Hialeah residents pay the fourth highest water and sewer rates in Miami-Dade County, and rates are expected to continue to rise.

Residents pay a fee of $11.50 every two months for water use and a fee of $12.50 every two months for wastewater.

System leaks are one of the factors that make costs high.

This year, residents will see another increase in water and sewer rates. Miami-Dade County, which provides 50 percent of Hialeah’s water, has raised water rates by 13.6 percent. A 3.3% reduction in the county’s sewer rate will mean Hialeah residents will see an overall increase of 10% for water and wastewater.

To help residents with rising costs, the City has suspended the franchise fee, which is charged to all water and sewer accounts. The quota, initially set at 10% in 2014 under Mayor Carlos Hernández, has been gradually reduced since 2019 and currently stands at 4%.

The city’s aging water and sewer system is overburdened, especially in east Hialeah, with frequently leaking pipes dating back to the 1960s. Groundwater seeping into the system increases the volume that it has to process at the sewage treatment plants, which leads to higher costs for the residents of the area.

The county has sent the city an ultimatum to pay an $18 million outstanding debt for water and sewer services. Overdue utility payments are more than 90 days past due, Miami-Dade Mayor Daniella Levine Cava said in a July 22 letter to Hialeah Mayor Esteban “Steve” Bovo.

The letter emphasized that all county residents share the financial responsibility for water and sewer services, and that Hialeah’s failure to settle its debts “means that the county’s water and sewer customers are unfairly burdened with the financial obligation for services rendered in Hialeah.”

Hialeah has requested two payment extensions. The mayor, who disputes the amount the county is claiming from the city, has said he won’t authorize payment of the $18 million until the city resolves past disagreements over services.