New Jersey American Water (NJAW) yesterday kicked off a long-term flood protection project at its Raritan-Millstone Water Treatment Plant.
This $65 million investment will help ensure protection from the increased risk of flooding during extreme weather events and maintain a sustainable water supply for more than 1 million people in Central New Jersey, NJAW said.
The plant is located near the confluence of the Raritan and Millstone Rivers. This area of Somerset County experiences severe flooding during significant storm events due to the relative low ground surface elevations in the flood ways adjacent to the two rivers.
This $65 million flood protection project will provide flood protection from storm events up to 500-year recurring frequency, marked by an elevation of 48 feet, which is the level of flood resiliency supported by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Army Corp of Engineers.
In addition to raising the plant’s north flood wall by four feet, the project also includes raising and widening the northeast berms, installing new flood gates, improving drainage mechanisms, installing a new low lift pump station and replacing emergency generators.
The entire scope of the project is expected to be completed by December 2018.
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