Free chlorination starts Thursday
Plus: a $937.4M sheriff ask, Jr. Anglers Day, and two waterspouts offshore.
Here’s what changed in Deerfield Beach and what’s coming up this month, starting with the water-treatment switch that reaches every city-water customer Thursday.
From Thursday, Sept. 3, through Wednesday, Sept. 23, the city will temporarily switch its water disinfectant from chloramines to chlorine alone. The water will remain safe for drinking, cooking, and bathing, though the taste or smell may change.
Crews will also flush fire hydrants. That can briefly lower water pressure or discolor the water nearby. If that happens, run cold water for several minutes until it clears.
This is annual maintenance, not an emergency. Deerfield normally combines chlorine with ammonia to make chloramines. For these three weeks, the treatment plant stops adding ammonia so chlorine can work through the distribution system on its own.
The bad inspection news landed north of us
State inspectors temporarily closed Rocco's Tacos & Tequila Bar at 5250 Town Center Circle in Boca Raton after an Aug. 24 inspection found 18 violations, including 12 high-priority violations.
Inspectors reported a live roach on a kitchen prep table, rodent droppings near the ice machine and prep sink, and small flying insects around food and equipment. They also cited unsafe food temperatures, bare-hand contact with ready-to-eat tortilla chips, and missing hand-washing supplies.
The order stopped operations until the violations were corrected. Temporary closures can end after a follow-up inspection, so confirm the restaurant's current status before heading north for dinner.
Fish tanks and dialysis care need an extra step
The water remains safe for ordinary household use, but aquariums, fish tanks, lobster tanks, and ponds need special handling through Sept. 23. City water must be treated to remove chlorine before it reaches aquatic life. That applies to homes, pet and bait shops, grocery stores, and restaurants.
Dialysis patients should contact their dialysis provider about any treatment adjustments. People with compromised immune systems who are receiving medical care should ask their health-care provider whether the temporary change affects them. For water-system questions, Environmental Services lists 954-480-4373 and 954-250-4305.
Jr. Anglers Day is back this month
- When
- Saturday, September 19 · 8:00 AM to 12:00 PM
- Where
- International Fishing Pier
- Address
- 200 NE 21st Avenue, Deerfield Beach
- Price
- $10 per angler; pre-registration required
Jr. Anglers Day runs 8 a.m. to noon Saturday, Sept. 19, at the International Fishing Pier, 200 NE 21st Avenue. It is for children ages 5 to 13, and registration costs $10 per angler. Pre-registration is required, and space is limited.
The morning includes hands-on fishing clinics, time fishing from the pier, arts and crafts, bait buckets, giveaways, and other learning activities. It is designed for first-time anglers as well as kids who already fish.
A billion-dollar question aimed at the sheriff's budget
Broward Sheriff Gregory Tony submitted a $937.4 million budget request for 2026-27. He is also seeking another $73.7 million for the current year, which he calls a funding gap after the county cut his initial $1 billion request.
Tony appealed those cuts to the Florida Administration Commission. A hearing scheduled for February was canceled, and the appeal remains pending. At the same time, Florida's DOGE review team requested BSO contracts, bids, invoices, vendors, personnel costs, and payments above $5,000. Tony told staff the office complied.
County taxes help fund BSO, so both the appeal and the records review matter even though they happen outside Deerfield's commission chamber.
Two waterspouts dropped from the clouds offshore
Two waterspouts formed at the same time off Deerfield Beach beneath a dark late-summer storm line around Aug. 27. The narrow funnels dropped from one cloud bank toward the Atlantic, with only a short stretch of horizon between them.
Anne Valliere photographed the paired formation from shore. Both funnels appeared offshore beneath the same low shelf of clouds, giving residents on land a clear view of two columns within one storm band.