Engineers report stormwater system reached capacity after Tropical Storm Debbie; lake vendor outlines maintenance and repairs

District engineering and lake-management staff updated the Board on drainage, stormwater performance after Tropical Storm Debbie, and ongoing lake maintenance.

Bill Kurth of Premier Lakes reported that "the lakes appear to be in very good shape," crews removed fallen trees from the Florida Power & Light ditch and outfall structure ahead of an impending tropical storm, and Premier changed service frequency from quarterly to monthly during the rainy season. He said repairs to the Lake H1-B nano-bubbler — which lost prime after being turned off — would be completed the following day, and that Mr. Willis and Mr. Alex Kurth will present electrical proposals to relocate a compressor in the Masters lake.

District Engineer Charlie Krebs reported MRI’s replacement of Pinehurst valley gutter inlet grates is about 80% complete and said the stormwater system reached its capacity after parts of the community received "almost 8 inches of rain in two or three days," while roads were designed for 5½ inches over 24 hours. Krebs suggested adding a drainage connection to allow water to bypass pipes and inlets and flow directly into Lake E1-A, and he said he will confirm schedules for asphalt patching and whether road or curb damage occurred.

A resident said standing water after the storm is appearing through a slab and causing mold in a unit; Mr. Krebs said he does not believe the standing water is the cause because other units did not report similar issues and asked Mr. Long to follow up. Resident Christine Mantilia asked whether fire trucks could draw water from the lakes to lower levels; Mr. Krebs said that is "not typical," would require approval from the South Florida Water Management District and could draw plants and fish into fire trucks.

The Board asked staff to address outstanding resident drainage concerns and include related items on the next agenda for follow-up.