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Martha Narvaez, Associate Director of the University of Delaware Water Resource Center, will moderate a conversation with Oleg Kostin, Director of Operations at New Jersey American Water, on climate change adaptation and resilience.
On Thursday 16 September 1999 the flood waters from the remnants of Hurricane Floyd inundated New Jersey American Water’s largest water production facility, the Raritan-Millstone Water treatment Plant, and forced the shutdown of the facility with repercussions for all of central New Jersey. In response, the water company undertook the emergency construction of a flood wall designed to protect the facility from a hundred year (1% risk) flooding event.
On 8/28/11 the flood waters from Hurricane Irene came within 1” of overtopping the existing flood wall at the Raritan-Millstone water treatment plant, built to withstand a flood elevation of 44’. New Jersey American Water began the design and permitting required to protect the RM facility to the 500-year flood elevation within months after this flood event. A concerted effort between the design, construction, and operations teams in cooperation with NJ DEP, Army Corps of Engineers and other state and regional entities helped to move the project forward efficiently. The wall and all associated accessories were in service for the peak of the 2018 Hurricane season but were not seriously challenged until 9/2/21, with Hurricane Ida. The $37 million capital project paid for itself by protecting the facility from the record flood elevation of 44.88’ experienced at 11:06 AM on 9/2/21.
Had this project not gone forward the facility would have been inundated for a second time. Recovery would surely have cost more than the project price, while also endangering public health in much the same way it did post Hurricane Floyd when the facility was taken out by flood waters.
Oleg Kostin, Director of Operations for New Jersey American Water, will discuss the planning and design process undertaken to arrive at the “correct” flood protection elevation while being mindful of the cost to be borne by New Jersey American customers.
For more information regarding this event, contact: ed@wradrb.org