River Ridge board reviews stormwater, lake maintenance after Tropical Storm Debbie; residents raise mold and drainage concerns

At the Aug. 27 River Ridge Community Development District meeting, Premier Lakes and the District Engineer reported on lake maintenance and stormwater system performance following Tropical Storm Debbie, and several residents raised drainage and standing-water concerns.

Mr. Bill Kurth of Premier Lakes reported that "the lakes appear to be in very good shape," that preserves and dry retention work are underway, and that crews removed fallen trees from the Florida Power & Light ditch and the outfall structure ahead of an impending tropical storm event. He said repairs to the Lake H1‑B nano‑bubbler, which lost prime after being turned off, would be completed the next day and that Premier adjusted service from quarterly to monthly during the rainy season. Operations staff and Mr. Alex Kurth will present electrical proposals for moving a compressor in the Masters Lake.

District Engineer Charlie Krebs reported MRI’s project to replace Pinehurst valley gutter inlet grates is about 80% complete and said he will seek a schedule for the asphalt patch. He reviewed the stormwater system’s performance after Tropical Storm Debbie, noting that the system flowed unobstructed though it reached capacity: "Parts of the community received almost 8" of rain in two or three days and the roads are designed for 5½" of rain over a 24‑hour period," he said. He recommended adding a drainage connection to Lake E1‑A to bypass pipes and inlets so water could flow directly into the lake.

A resident reported standing water coming up through a slab and alleged it caused mold in the unit. Mr. Krebs said he does not believe the standing water is the cause because other units did not report similar issues, and asked that the matter be placed on the next agenda for Mr. Long to respond. Resident Christine Mantilia asked about stormwater‑management permits; Krebs said the CDD recovered a lot after the storm and that a permit to modify a few control structures was done when the developer broke the Pinehurst connection in 2022 during installation of a second outfall to the FPL easement. He added allowing fire trucks to fill from the lakes would not be typical and would require approval from the South Florida Water Management District.

Resident Anita Bachragh requested that a downed tree by River 9 Catch Basin #134 be brought upright and asked that the conservation area be cleared of invasive material; Mr. Willis said he would review past minutes and asked Ms. Bachragh to send photographs so staff can evaluate the request. Resident Larry Fiesel asked about the speed sign project; staff said Mr. Long is scheduling training and will provide an update at the next meeting.