The City of Satsuma is set to receive federal funding to install a backup generator at its Joginell Lift Station, part of an ongoing effort to protect the city’s sewer infrastructure from power outages during hurricanes and other storms. The Federal Emergency Management Agency has issued a final public notice announcing its intent to fund the project through the Hazard Mitigation Grant Program.
The subgrant application was submitted by the Satsuma Water and Sewer Board, and FEMA’s funding decision comes after a review process required under federal environmental law. Because the project site sits within a Special Flood Hazard Area, the review examined potential effects on floodplains and wetlands, along with social, economic, historic and safety considerations, before the agency issued its final notice.
What the Project Involves
The plan calls for installing a 30-kilowatt emergency generator adjacent to the Joginell Lift Station, located at GPS coordinates 30.841199, -88.073769. The generator will provide backup power to keep the lift station running during power interruptions caused by storms, ensuring that sewage continues to be pumped to the Satsuma Wastewater Treatment Plant even when the electrical grid goes down.
To meet local floodplain standards, the generator will be installed one foot above the base flood elevation, in accordance with the City of Satsuma’s floodplain ordinance. The site falls within a regulatory floodway and is located within or adjacent to wetlands, which is why the project required the additional layer of federal environmental review before funding could be finalized.
Why a Generator, and Why Here
FEMA’s notice lays out why officials determined that installing the generator in place, rather than relocating the lift station, is the most practicable option. Moving the sewer infrastructure out of the floodplain entirely would require rerouting sewer main lines, a process that could disrupt public access to nearby properties and require acquiring land from property owners along a new route. Given that the damage typically caused by flooding at the site is limited in scope, FEMA concluded the cost of relocating the facility would likely outweigh the cost of simply protecting it in place.
Doing nothing was also ruled out as an alternative. Lift stations like the one at Joginell rely on continuous power to move sewage toward treatment; without backup power, an outage during a storm could lead to sewage backups or overflows at a time when residents are already dealing with storm damage. FEMA’s notice describes the generator as necessary to keep the system functioning when the power grid fails.
Part of a Broader Federal Effort
The Joginell Lift Station project is being funded under a broader disaster declaration tied to the COVID-19 pandemic, with an initial public notice for the disaster having been published in March 2020. Projects funded under the Hazard Mitigation Grant Program are also subject to a series of executive orders dating back decades, including orders requiring FEMA to evaluate impacts on floodplains and wetlands and to provide opportunities for public participation, particularly in communities with environmental justice concerns.
FEMA noted that more recent executive orders signed in January 2021 renewed the federal government’s focus on environmental justice, directing agencies to work with communities and local groups to identify environmental justice concerns early in the application process. The review of the Joginell project was conducted with those requirements in mind, alongside standard requirements under the National Historic Preservation Act and the National Flood Insurance Program.
How Residents Can Weigh In
FEMA’s notice is considered final, but the agency is still accepting public comment on the project. Residents with questions, or anyone who wants a map of the specific project area, can write to FEMA Region 4 at 3005 Chamblee-Tucker Road, Atlanta, Georgia 30341, referencing “HMGP 4503-0068 Satsuma Water and Sewer” in the subject line. Comments must be submitted within 15 days of the notice’s posting date.
The notice was posted at the Satsuma Water and Sewer office and on the utility’s website. Once the comment period closes, the notice will be removed from public view, and the project will move forward as part of the city’s continued efforts to harden its infrastructure against future storms.