In 2009, the Tacoma Wastewater Treatment Plant suffered a series of floods which resulted in over $10 million in damages to electrical equipment as well as allowing millions of gallons of untreated wastewater to flow into the Commencement Bay & Puyallup River.
To prevent future flood devastation, the city of Tacoma authorized a $25 million flood mitigation project to protect their wastewater treatment plant. FloodBreak was one of the many organizations that took part in the project, which involved the construction of a massive 2,500′ long x 8′ tall floodwall that protects the plant’s perimeter.
We installed three passive flood barriers range from 28′ to 32′ in length and 3′ to 6′ in height at different vehicle entryways to the wastewater facility.
FloodBreak’s passive automatic technology allows these barriers to deploy & protect without the need for human intervention or power. During a flood event, the barriers are activated by the floodwater itself. The higher the flood water rises, the higher our barriers are lifted. Learn how our passive flood barriers deploy.
When the flood water recedes, the barriers return to their stored underground position. This lets daily plant operations continue without disturbance or slowdown in productivity.
FloodBreak barriers are designed to support HS-25 loading and are unaffected by harsh outdoor conditions. All materials used in the fabrication of our gates are specified so that rust and intense outdoor exposure do not affect their efficacy.
Tacoma CTP Wins Public Works Project Of The Year Award For Flood Protection Measures
In 2016, the Tacoma Central Wastewater Treatment Plant won the Public Works Project Of The Year Award in the Disaster & Emergency Preparedness category. The award recognizes “excellence in management and administration to successfully complete public works projects.”
We at FloodBreak are very proud to have played a part in this award-winning effort to provide the highest quality flood protection to such an important wastewater facility. The Tacoma wastewater treatment plant treats between 30 million and 135 million gallons per day in order to provide safe water for the surrounding area. It is reported that 80% of the wastewater from Tacoma is treated at this single facility.
This project is part of FloodBreak’s larger goal to provide permanent flood protection to critical infrastructure similar to this central treatment plant in Tacoma, WA.
