Underground Utilities Division

Underground Utilities is responsible for installing and servicing the underground piping systems that are a part of the City's water sewer and stormwater systems. This includes the repair, replacement and installation of pipelines and services. Personnel also check the system on a routine basis to detect and repair leaks to prevent water loss and ensure consumer health and safety. The divisions personnel are assigned to three programs:

Water Distribution:

The Water Distribution Program involves ensuring uninterrupted flow of quality potable water via 520 miles of water lines. This program also maintains and installs fire hydrants, meters and related devices.

Sanitary Sewer Collection:

The Sewer Collection Program is responsible for maintaining over 200 miles of sewer lines.

Stormwater Maintenance:

The Stormwater Maintenance Program services over 4,800 stormwater catch basins to prevent blockages and service interruptions.

Water Distribution is responsible for ensuring uninterrupted flow of quality potable water through the City's distribution system. The program involves the repair, replacement and installation of water mains and services, the detection and repair of water leaks to minimize water loss and customer inconvenience while also maintaining and installing fire hydrants, meters and related appurtenances.

There are over 528 miles of water lines which make up the water distribution system servicing the City of Hollywood. These lines vary in size from 3/4" for service lines, up to 30" for major transmission lines. The types of materials the lines are constructed of also range in composition, including copper, PVC, galvanized steel, transite, cast iron and ductile iron pipe.

Preventive Maintenance Program: Preventive maintenance programs such as fire hydrant and meter replacements provide for the most effective fire protection and accurate metering of water consumption for the customers of Hollywood and surrounding communities.

Fire Hydrant Replacement Program: This replacement and maintenance program involves the inspection and servicing of the City's 2,150 plus fire hydrants. This maintenance service is generally performed during the annual hydrant flushing program. Hydrants which are determined antiquated or damaged beyond repair are replaced with new ones. Also, when requested by the Fire Department, and through growth and development, new hydrants are installed to ensure adequate fire protection capability.

Meter Shop: The Meter Shop is responsible for maintenance and certification of all the meter and backflow devices within our utility jurisdiction. State Certification is required to perform backflow tests, which must be accomplished yearly to ensure the safety of the potable water system from contamination along with large meter testing to ensure accurate accountability for water and sewer usage. The meter shop is responsible for the processing of meter account information, DMA work orders, meter replacement data for account disposition and all related hard copy metered account information.

New Meter Installations: Meter installations are performed once meters are applied for by homeowners, contractors, developers and the like. Primarily 5/8" in size, these meters are required for all new and existing homes and businesses to adequately gauge water consumption to provide for monthly billing service for customers. Application for meters range in cost dependent upon size and extent of installation required. Meters are provided for domestic, commercial, fire, irrigation, temporary construction and (AC) deduct purposes. Smaller meters are replaced every 10 to 15 years to ensure accuracy while large (3" - 8") meters are field tested annually. Performance objectives related to meter replacements for FY97 have been realized.

Locations And Inspections:

Whenever our or any other utility, such as the phone company or FPL, plans to install new underground equipment, or has an emergency repair to perform, they need to know the location of our underground facilities so as to avoid damage to these pipelines. Similarly, as we are required to perform repairs or construction, we must receive utility locations from other companies sharing utility easements.

There are over 22,050 customer connections for sewer service installed in the City. These connections run into 275 miles of sewer lines and 3,830 manholes that carry over 32 million gallons of sanitary sewage a day for treatment. The Sewer Collection Program maintains system flow while avoiding spillage and environmental contamination.

In 1997, the Public Utilities Department added two pieces of equipment to the Sewer Collection program that have been instrumental in providing better service. The Aqua-Tech cleaning vehicle and the Cues TV/Grout vehicle have enabled us to improve the number of lines we clean, inspect, and perform non-invasive repairs on by over 100%. With this equipment Hollywood's utility customers are ensured the highest level of service in problem diagnosis, preventive maintenance prioritization and line cleaning.

Stormwater Maintenance

The City currently has 52+ miles of storm drainage pipe with their associated catch basins and outfalls to discharge stormwater runoff throughout the City of Hollywood. Public Utilities took over the Stormwater maintenance function for the past few years now. Although specifically established to provide maintenance and repairs to the existing stormwater infrastructure, the program has responded to the City's needs by involving itself in numerous new drainage construction projects and swale grading throughout the City.

Stormwater personnel provide twenty-four hour response and monitoring of the drainage system within the City during major storm events such as, deluge rain storms, tropical depressions and hurricanes. The program provides for additional pumping systems to augment its existing pump station capability, and to establish temporary pumping sites where and when needed.