Treatment plant prepared for rain
By Rochelle Moore
Published in News on September 11, 2017 5:50 AM
City of Goldsboro crews are prepared to take steps to protect the city's water plant if Hurricane Irma threatens to bring any significant amount of rain this week.
City workers have already filled generators with gasoline and ordered treatment chemicals to ensure the plant remains in operation, even under the worst conditions.
Crews are also prepared to start hauling in sand to build a temporary berm around some of the plant's electrical systems, generators and automatic transfer switches, said Mike Wagner, Goldsboro deputy public works director.
"We bring dump trucks of sand out there," said Rick Fletcher, Goldsboro public works director.
As of Friday, no decision had been made to build the temporary berm because the predicted path of Hurricane Irma placed Wayne County out of harm's way, with rainfall at 2 inches or less, Fletcher said.
"There is no plan for that at this point," he said, of the berm. "We're not expecting anything here, just wind and rain."
Wayne County is expected to receive 1 to 2 inches of rain today through Tuesday, said Phil Badgett, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Raleigh. The county could also experience wind speeds between 30 and 35 mph.
Fletcher said city crews are preparing for what could be similar to a typical rainfall, which could result in some localized flooding.
"We have some areas that are prone to flood, even if we have a half-inch of rain," Fletcher said.
During Hurricane Matthew in 2016, city workers took steps to protect the city's water treatment plant by building a temporary 4-foot-high sand berm around generators and other operational equipment.
The water treatment plant's property flooded but not at the level that water service was disrupted in the city. The plant on Jordan Boulevard is prone to flooding due to its proximity near the Little River, a tributary of the Neuse River.
Significant damage to the water plant and its operational systems would result in water service loss for the entire city. And it could take weeks to restore, said Scott Stevens, city manager.
Anytime the Neuse River water levels rise above flood stage, city crews are watchful of any potential flooding at the plant.
Wagner said some concern was raised in late April when rainfall in the area increased the level of the Neuse River to almost 25 feet, close to seven feet above the 18-foot flood stage.
The plant has experienced flooding during other natural disasters, including Hurricane Floyd in 1999.
City leaders recently decided to apply for a $2 million Golden LEAF Foundation grant to build a permanent berm around the plant. The grant would provide funding to build an earthen berm of 5 to 8 feet above ground level and 2 feet above the highest water mark level from Hurricane Floyd. Not only would the berm include a mixture of dirt and grass but also a concrete wall in some areas around the plant.
The Golden LEAF Foundation will make a decision on the grant in October.