Various Locations, New York City, NY
During Superstorm Sandy, flooding affected 10 of the New York City Department of Environmental Protection’s (DEP) 14 wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) and 42 out of 96 wastewater pumping stations (WWPS). A projected increase in flood risk stemming from continued sea level rise, climate change, and more extreme storm surge events reinforces the need to harden DEP’s wastewater infrastructure. This is necessary to reduce the probability of damage, service disruptions, and environmental impacts caused by surge events.
In October 2013, the Department completed its Wastewater Resiliency Plan. The plan evaluated flood pathways, vulnerabilities, the probability and impacts of failures, and appropriate adaptation strategies for the infrastructure and equipment of many wastewater facilities. It identified flood risk at Wastewater Residual Receiver Facilities (WRRFs) and WWPS, identified at-risk equipment, and through rigorous probability and cost estimating analysis, assigned a monetary value to proactive adaptation.
The DEP intended to enhance their Wastewater Resiliency Plan initiative by implementing a combination of adaptation strategies at the Red Hook WWTP, Newtown Creek WWTP, Hunts Point WWTP, Tallman Island WWTP, Port Richmond Facility Planning, and FEMA Existing Conditions Reports for Electrical and Structural Assessments at 16 sites. CSA Group performed as a subconsultant for this contract, providing structural and electrical engineering services.