Sewer Lining

FPUA has been utilizing Cured-in-Place Pipe (CIPP) technology to reconstruct and upgrade the sanitary sewer system for several years. CIPP is a targeted technology where uncured PVC lining is inserted into sewer pipes from a manhole or similar access point and then heated to expand until it reaches the pipe walls and dries as an inner lining of the pipe. This eliminates cracks and holes that have been contributing to raw sewage leaking into the groundwater and inevitably reaching the Indian River Lagoon. The best part about this technology is that it does not disrupt normal day-to-day activities, or require traffic disruptions, while FPUA makes these improvements.

To view the sewer lining process, watch this video: Sewer Lining Demonstration

Approximately half of FPUA’s sewer infrastructure was installed nearly 70 years ago using vitrified clay pipe. Over time, aging elements and the weight of flooding waters can cause the pipes to crack, potentially allowing untreated sewage to leak into the soil and groundwater flows into the Indian River Lagoon. These cracks also allow freshwater to enter the pipe during heavy rainstorms, overloading the wastewater treatment plant with overflows to the estuary.

Lining FPUA’s sewer system will strengthen the resilience of Fort Pierce by reducing its wastewater system’s vulnerability to flooding and inundation, which are caused by extreme weather and climate hazards. Specifically, by undertaking the sewer lining improvements to the sewer collection system, FPUA will eliminate the problems caused by groundwater infiltrating into the current sewer infrastructure through the pipe cracks.

Lining the sewer pipes protects and preserves the precious resource that is the Indian River Lagoon - the most biodiverse estuary in North America and home to many fish, plants, and other aquatic species. Cracks in the aging sewer pipes would allow raw, untreated sewage to seep into the groundwater and contaminate local wells, rivers, and the Indian River Lagoon. Contaminated groundwater not only poses a risk to the environment but also to public health. Untreated sewage contains bacteria, metals, and other chemicals that may cause disease and cause water to taste and smell terrible and lead to diseases like salmonella, cholera, typhoid, and even hepatitis A. Lining FPUA’s sewer system eliminates this risk.

Cracks in the old, clay pipes can allow stormwater to enter the sewer pipes creating an unmanageable influx of water into the sewer system on South Hutchinson Island which requires treated effluent to be released directly into the lagoon. While normally there is no chance of overflowing into the lagoon, it becomes a risk under extreme weather conditions like hurricanes, heavy rains, and sea level rise.

Over the last 5 years, there have been 15 instances of peak wastewater flow into the treatment plant. The increased frequency and severity of storms create an increase in stormwater and wastewater entering the wastewater treatment plant. The sewer lining will drastically reduce the risk of sanitary sewer discharges to the Indian River Lagoon, while it remains on the island.

FPUA has identified a total of 70.42 miles of sewer pipes that need to be lined. To date, FPUA has improved and restored over 20 miles of sewer pipes, and invested a total of $1.8 million FPUA dollars since 2014. FPUA was also awarded grants in the amount of $900,000 in 2021 and 2022, a combined total of $1.8 million, from the State of Florida’s Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) to line an additional 8.4 miles of sewer pipes. Simultaneously in 2022, FPUA was awarded $3.79 million dollars from the State of Florida’s Department of Economic Opportunity (DEO) to line an additional 32.4 miles of sewer pipes.

FPUA will continue to seek funding from local, state, and federal organizations toward this project to ensure a resilient, healthy, and safe community for our residents, businesses, visitors, and environment. In September 2022, FPUA submitted a proposal to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) requesting funds to line another 3 miles of sewer pipes on South Hutchinson Island. In January 2023, FPUA submitted its third request to the State of Florida an additional $900,000 towards the CIPP sewer lining project.