A 500-foot-long, nine-foot-tall AquaFence flood barrier has been installed around Lift Station 85 on the St. Petersburg bayfront, part of the city’s efforts to protect critical infrastructure from hurricane-driven storm surge.

Located near Albert Whitted Airport, the station plays a vital role in the city’s wastewater system—collecting sewage and pumping it to the Southwest Sewer Treatment Plant. It serves nearly 25% of the city, including major sites like hospitals, assisted living centers, hurricane shelters, and St. Pete’s Emergency Operations Center, according to city officials.

The new barrier is part of the St. Pete Agile Resilience (SPAR) plan.

AquaFence, a Norway-based company, gained national attention after its system successfully protected Tampa General Hospital during Hurricanes Helene and Milton. That real-world performance gave St. Pete confidence in the technology, said Public Works Administrator Claude Tankersley.

“When we saw how well it worked at Tampa General, we knew it could work for us too,” Tankersley said.

The system consists of modular panels made of marine-grade laminate, stainless steel, aluminum, and reinforced PVC canvas, according to FEMA.

Tankersley noted that during Hurricane Helene, Lift Station 85 took in about a foot of water but remained operational. The station sits six feet above ground, but Hurricane Milton was forecast to bring a 13- to 15-foot surge—an eye-opener for city planners.

“We realized we had to act to protect this facility,” he said.

The City of St. Pete invested roughly $700,000 in the AquaFence system. Planning began late last year, with City Council approval coming in February. Manufactured in Europe, the barrier components began arriving in St. Pete by early summer.

Installation, Tankersley said, has been time-consuming. About 75% of the panels are now in place. Tampa General assisted during the process.

“As with any first-time project, there were some growing pains,” he said. “We gave ourselves several months to get it right.”

As for expanding AquaFence protection to other facilities, Tankersley said it depends on space.

“We’re evaluating it, but many of our facilities don’t have the open space required,” he said.

AquaFence recently opened a new office in Tampa.

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(Image credit: City of St. Pete)

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