Stormwater Maintenance Assessment
Town of Sewall’s Point, Florida
Executive Summary
At the conclusion of the Road Resiliency Projects, Federal, State, and local investments in South
Sewall’s Point will exceed $30 million. While the Town has long maintained a basic drainage
system for roads and low-lying areas, chronic flooding during King Tides and major storm
events revealed that the existing infrastructure drained too slowly.
In response, the Town Commission pursued grant funding to raise roads, refurbish existing
outfalls, and construct additional ones in South Sewall’s Point. However, during this period,
routine maintenance of the existing stormwater system was underfunded and inconsistently
performed.
This report examines the Town’s stormwater maintenance practices, identifies systemic
deficiencies, and provides recommendations for improvement.
The Stormwater System
The Town’s stormwater drainage system consists of yard drains and roadway inlets that convey
runoff into collector basins and ultimately to outfalls. Outfalls are critical infrastructure
components — they serve as the final discharge points where stormwater (containing debris,
sediment, phosphorus, nitrogen, and other pollutants) is released into the environment, primarily
the St. Lucie River and Indian River Lagoon.
Proper maintenance of these outfalls is essential to:
- Prevent environmental contamination
- Ensure compliance with Florida Department of Environmental Protection (FDEP) and
Clean Water Act requirements - Maintain system capacity and reduce flooding
Historical Maintenance Framework
In 2011, the Town developed a Stormwater Master Plan that documented the system and
recommended regular inspections and maintenance. The plan called for annual inspections,
cleaning as needed, structural repairs, and environmental monitoring.
In June 2020, Captec, the Town of Sewall’s Point engineering consultant, presented “Stormwater
Planning: Past, Present and Future” to the Town Commission. The presentation included four
maintenance maps and long-term cost projections — serving as the foundation for subsequent
grant applications for the Road Resiliency Projects.
Despite these plans, road flooding persisted during high-tide and storm events, prompting major
capital investments.
Was There a Problem?
Yes — a significant and preventable one.
- Absence of Policy and Procedure
Although a 2011 Master Plan existed, the Town operated without a formal Stormwater
Outfall Inspection, Cleaning, and Maintenance Policy and Procedure until September
2025. - Inadequate Maintenance Execution
- A review of the Town’s drainage maps identified over 585 Town-maintained structures
(inlets, yard drains, manholes, mitered end sections, baffle boxes, control structures, and
outfalls). - Analysis of 2022–2024 invoices from Sunshine Land Design showed that only 44.4% of
these structures were inspected and/or cleaned. Many structures never appeared on billing
sheets. Where work was documented, frequent notations included: “Hand Work,” “No
Access,” “Cannot Locate,” “Cannot Clean,” “Cannot Reach with Vac,” and “No.” - Lack of Oversight
Captec, retained under a Professional Services Agreement to monitor the subcontractor
(Sunshine Land Design), primarily verified billing mathematics rather than actual field
performance or completion rates. - Budget Underutilization
- Stormwater maintenance expenditures consistently came in well under budget:
o FYE 2022: $28,948 spent vs. $70,000 budgeted
o FYE 2023: $48,794 spent vs. $80,000 budgeted
o FYE 2024: $48,291 spent vs. $100,000 budgeted
o These significant under-spends went unquestioned.
Future Actions – Recommended Improvements
To protect the substantial public investment in the Road Resiliency Projects and ensure long-
term system performance, the Town should immediately implement the following:
- Update Infrastructure Maps to reflect all new structures added during the Road
Resiliency Project. - Strengthen Contract Oversight – The Town Manager must actively monitor the
performance of the contractor responsible for stormwater system maintenance. - Competitive Bidding
o Put stormwater system cleaning services out to public bid.
o Re-evaluate the need for a Professional Services monitoring contract if the Town
Manager assumes oversight for stormwater system maintenance.
Prioritized Maintenance Schedule (Critical Structures First)
o Critical Structures Total: ~102
o Cleaned in 2024: ≈18 (≈18%)
Implement Full Documentation
Require detailed inspection forms, maintenance logs, photos, and disposal receipts. All
records must be archived for a minimum of five years and made available to regulatory
agencies and the residents.
Conclusion
The Town of Sewall’s Point will possess a significantly upgraded infrastructure thanks to over
$30 million in public investment. However, the historical under-maintenance of the existing
system represents a serious gap in stewardship. Implementing the recommendations above will
protect water quality, reduce future flooding risk, ensure regulatory compliance, and safeguard
the Town’s substantial capital investment.