As coastal cities face stronger storms, higher storm surge, and increasing flood risk, municipalities are being forced to rethink how they protect essential infrastructure. The City of St. Petersburg, Florida is doing just that - taking proactive steps to safeguard its wastewater system with large-scale flood protection solutions designed for long-term resilience.
Flood Risk America is proud to spotlight this major municipal project, which includes flood panel installations at the City’s Northeast (NE) Sewer Treatment Plant and Lift Station 85.
Why Flood Protection Was Critical
The NE Sewer Treatment Plant plays a vital role in the City of St. Petersburg, Florida’s wastewater treatment process. However, recent storm events exposed its vulnerability. The plant was taken offline for the first time during Hurricane Helene, and then again during Tropical Storm Milton. During Helene, floodwaters filled an underground bay that houses critical equipment used in the final stages of wastewater treatment. Saltwater intrusion damaged electrical systems, requiring extensive repairs and costly downtime.
According to city officials, these events were a clear wake-up call. “This is a very big upgrade. We are at the point now that if we were to receive a Helene storm, we would not have to shut down this plant.”
Strengthening the Plant Without Rebuilding It
Rather than pursuing extremely expensive structural reconstruction, the City of St. Petersburg, Florida chose a more strategic and cost-effective approach: Flood Risk America’s flood panels installed directly onto low-lying buildings.
The city has been working to harden the NE plant by:
- Elevating select equipment where possible
- Installing flood panels on vulnerable building openings
- Protecting underground bays and critical electrical infrastructure
These flood panels provide perimeter-style protection without the need to construct large freestanding flood barriers. “So instead of building a wall of an Aquafence around this facility, we’re providing that same protection by attaching it directly to the building.”
The City of St. Petersburg, Florida Flood Protection Project
Installation began with the plant’s filter station, one of the most critical buildings on site. The filter station contains essential equipment used in the final stages of wastewater cleaning, much of it located below grade. Each opening on the filter station requires three flood panels, creating a sealed barrier designed to prevent storm surge and floodwater from entering the structure.
In total, the City of St. Petersburg, Florida purchased approximately 100 flood panels for the NE plant - enough to protect 11 buildings. The total investment came in at just over $1 million, a fraction of what it would cost to raise even a single building. “The price to raise one building would be tens of millions of dollars… these panels are significantly less expensive.”
A Scalable, Long-Term Flood Protection Strategy
One of the key advantages of flood panels is flexibility. While raising buildings may be an option in the distant future, flood panels provide immediate protection that aligns with current infrastructure lifecycles and budget realities. “At some point in the future… we may take advantage of raising it. But to do so now would not make economic sense.”
Recognizing the success and value of this approach, the City of St. Petersburg, Florida also purchased the same quantity of flood panels to protect the Southwest Water Reclamation Facility, further expanding the city’s storm surge defense strategy.
A Model for Coastal Municipalities
The City of St. Petersburg’s investment highlights a growing trend among municipalities: protecting critical infrastructure without waiting for catastrophic failure with solutions that make the most economic sense. By using flood panels to safeguard vulnerable buildings, the city has significantly reduced the risk of operational shutdowns during major storms, ensuring continuity of essential public services and a faster, safer recovery.
For cities facing similar challenges, this project demonstrates that effective flood protection doesn’t always require rebuilding from the ground up. With the right assessment, planning, and products, municipalities can dramatically reduce flood risk in a cost-effective, scalable way.
If your facility is vulnerable to storm surge or flooding, our team can help you evaluate risks and implement solutions designed for your site. Contact us for more information.