RIVIERA BEACH, Fla. — The water treatment plant for the Riviera Beach Special Utilities District will be looking for a new leader as Manager Melvin Pinkney resigned Wednesday after more than three years of running the utility's water treatment plant.
Pinkney's resignation comes after WPTV uncovered the city faces a series of water contamination events and violations of state or federal law related to water quality in a series of reports under his leadership.
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Pinkney told WPTV reporter Ethan Stein that his doctor recommended he quit rather than his resignation being tied to problems within the utility district, serving the city of Riviera Beach and surrounding areas.
“It’s just become too much, it’s just too much,” Pinkey said. “It just affected my health.”
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Recordings show Compliance Manager Margie DeBerry said Pinkney failed to report water quality tests to the Public Health Department in Palm Beach County. Riviera Beach is facing a possible fine after the health department said itbroke state or federal laws 189 times, mostly related to not reporting water quality tests.
Pinkney ran the water treatment plant while the city faced scrutiny for fabricating and changing water quality tests. Documents show city officials gave the health department two versions of the same water quality test, but one version had positive tests for total coliform removed from the page. Records show the State Department of Health is investigating the city, which could result in an additional fine.
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Pinkney also ran the water treatment plant during its response to a water contamination event in June 2023, where it waited seven months to notify the public about E. coliin the city's drinking water. The city paid an $80,000 fine in response and also paid the Palm Beach County Inspector General's Office for an investigation into the response.
Pinkney also told investigators he felt "extremely overwhelmed" and "overburdened with the responsibility" of running the city's water plant in the same report. He said he was unsure if he could handle the pressure of the position until his retirement in May 2025 because of staff shortages, aging infrastructure and being on call.
The city of Riviera Beach released the following statement regarding the resignation:
"As of yesterday (Wednesday), Water Plant Manager Pinkney has resigned. Our operators were informed late yesterday, and a structured transition plan is now underway. For the past two months, U.S. Water has been actively supporting USD operations and compliance activities to ensure seamless continuity and regulatory adherence. Their assistance has been vital in maintaining operational integrity and meeting our obligations to the public and regulatory bodies.
Additionally, our Compliance Manager, Margie DeBerry, has announced her voluntary departure, effective toward the end of this month. To prepare for this transition, we have engaged an on-site private compliance professional to assess Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) and overall operational effectiveness. U.S. Water will also continue to provide additional support, with a focus on continuity and strict adherence to Safe Drinking Water and Florida Department of Health (FDOH) standards.
This collaborative effort, backed by both private and public expertise, reflects USD’s commitment to fulfilling its responsibilities to the community and to regulatory authorities."
