Flood damage reduction techniques for wastewater treatment facilities

Abstract

Wastewater treatment facilities, due to design practices and physical location, may be highly vulnerable to flooding. The implementation of flood proofing and flood damage reduction measures can reduce the economic losses and environmental impacts of a flood.

Effective training and guidance is currently unavailable from the Virginia regulatory agencies. The Commonwealth of Virginia Sewerage Regulations contain the fundamental principle of avoiding construction within the 100-year flood plain. However, information is not included to discuss flood damage reduction measures or flood protective design standards. The Division of Water Programs within the Virginia Department of Health currently has an internal memorandum to govern their response to flood damaged facilities. The memorandum is general in nature with a limited discussion of assistance to wastewater treatment facilities. Specific flood damage reduction training is currently unavailable within the Virginia Department of Health. This research is intended to provide the necessary material to a) update current regulations and b) establish the basis of a training manual for use during presentations, seminars, and daily activity of regulatory engineers.