The City of St. Petersburg is fast-tracking major flood infrastructure projects to better withstand future storms and keep vital sewer systems running, ahead of this year’s hurricane season, Mayor Ken Welch announced Tuesday.

“Many of these upgrades were originally slated for completion within the next 3 to 5 years,” Welch said. “Now, we’re accelerating timelines, reinforcing key infrastructure, flood-proofing facilities, and adding new pump stations.”

City leaders gathered at the Northeast Water Reclamation Facility to showcase one of the projects: a new elevated platform for generators, built 11 feet above sea level to protect against storm surges.

Claude Tankersley, the city’s Public Works Administrator, said the $70 million effort to harden the sewer plant — launched in 2022 — is ahead of schedule.

“The full completion was planned for next summer,” he said. “Now, part of the work will wrap up this summer, with the rest finishing by year’s end or early next spring.”

The urgency follows last year’s Hurricane Helene, which sent a 6.3-foot storm surge into the Northeast plant, flooding critical equipment and forcing the facility offline for the first time. The shutdown impacted 25% of city residents. Just weeks later, with a 15-foot surge forecast from Hurricane Milton, the city preemptively shut down both the Northeast and Southwest plants, affecting two-thirds of residents.

“Our goal is to avoid shutting down during future storms like Milton or Helene,” Tankersley said. “We want to ensure both equipment and personnel are protected.”

To defend against future 15-foot surges, the city will build a 4-foot wall atop the elevated platform to shield the generators. “That will bring total protection up to 15 feet,” Tankersley explained.

Mayor Welch said the city is acting on long-known vulnerabilities.

“Some may wonder why action took so long,” he said. “But these projects were already planned using the best available science at the time. What’s changed is our urgency — we’re accelerating based on new data and lived experience.”

The city now plans to invest an additional $545 million in infrastructure improvements over the next five years. Preparations for this year’s hurricane season include purchasing an AquaFence for lift station 85 and acquiring three new high-water response vehicles for St. Pete Fire Rescue.

These efforts are part of the St. Pete Agile Resilience Plan (SPAR), which guides the city’s resilience strategy. Over the past nine years, nearly $1 billion has been invested in projects aimed at protecting St. Petersburg from the growing threats of climate change and extreme weather.

Follow the St. Pete-Clearwater Sun on Facebook, Instagram, Threads, Google, & X

(Image credit: WTVT)

PIE-Sun.com: local St. Pete-Clearwater news