FORT MYERS, Fla. — A sewer line break at Colonial Boulevard and Summerlin Road in Fort Myers sent nearly 1,500 gallons of unrecovered wastewater into the drainage system that connects to a local lake.
Watch as Community Correspondent Anvar Ruziev reports from the scene of the cleanup:
City crews responded just before 11 p.m. on July 15 and worked until nearly 2 a.m. to contain the damage after a contractor hit a four-inch force main while drilling. Officials say the line was incorrectly marked.
The crews were able to recover 2,100 gallons of sewage using vac trucks and treated the site with lime. However, 1,500 gallons couldn't be recovered, and the drainage system at this intersection leads to a local lake.
City crews took water samples at an outfall location on McGregor Boulevard to test for microbial contamination. The results have not yet been released.
The city says the contractor involved is linked to a Lee County D.O.T. project, and whether proper safety steps were taken before drilling is still under review.
FULL STATEMENT:
"On 7/16/2025 at around 10:45pm the city operations received a call about a sanitary sewer spill at the intersection of Colonial Blvd and Summerlin Rd in Fort Myers. City crews were dispatched to contain and isolate the spill. Upon arrival, crews discovered that an OHLA Lee County DOT contractor hit a 4 inch force main during directional drilling at location 1530 Colonial Blvd, Fort Myers, FL 33907. The 4 inch force main was incorrectly marked (located), it is unclear whether the contractor conducted soft digging to verify location of the force main. The incident is still under investigation. City crews and contractors worked to vacuum and contain the wastewater spillage. Approximately 2100 gallons was recovered by vac-truck while affected areas were treated with hydrated lime. 1500 gallons of the spill was not recovered. Stormwater drain at the spill location drains into a lake, on 7/16/2025 city crews collected water samples for microbial testing at the Lee County DOT 72 inch pipe out-fall located at 5106 McGregor Blvd Fort Myers, FL 33901 (coordinates: 26.596796, -81.891243). The microbial testing is conducted to assess lake contamination stemming from the sewer spill."
