Do you support Pinellas County's efforts to pursue a grants for two applications; the Pinellas Park Interceptor, and the Resilient Pinellas Utilities Program? These grants would improve the performance and resilience of critical utilities systems during future disasters. Please explain

Pinellas County Utilities – CDBG Grant Application Proposals Public Notice

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development provides grants through the Community Development Block Grant-Mitigation (CDBG-MIT) program to state and local governments. On June 16, 2021, the Department of Economic Opportunity launched the Rebuild Florida General Infrastructure Program Round 2 application cycle, making a total of $175 million available for eligible applicants, including units of general local government. The CDBG-MIT program provides resources to address a wide range of mitigation projects that help Florida communities better withstand future disasters. Final proposals are due on Sept. 17, 2021.

Pinellas County Utilities is seeking grants funding for two applications; the Pinellas Park Interceptor, and the Resilient Pinellas Utilities Program (RPUP). These grants, totaling up to $33million in funding would improve the performance and resilience of critical utilities systems during future disasters.

Pinellas Park Interceptor Project (PPI)

Pinellas County Utilities is seeking funding in the amount of $5.148 million to improve reliability, reduce risk, and improve resilience within the wastewater collection system. This joint project with the City of Pinellas Park will relieve peak flows through an existing force main to eliminate repetitive sanitary sewer overflows (SSO) occurring during wet weather events.

Figure 1 shows the proposed pipe routing. This project will enhance reliability for existing gravity interceptor that is prone to sanitary sewer overflows and surcharging during wet weather events. The project protects against flooding impacts (inflow and infiltration) and sea level rise (infiltration) impacts and eliminate sanitary sewer overflows related to wet weather in the existing interceptor. The project includes both design and construction for the project, which seeks to protect the public from exposure to raw sewage during these wet weather events. The project increases the resiliency of both the Pinellas Park and the Pinellas County wastewater collection systems and will reduce infiltration and inflow impacts on the collection system.

Resilient Pinellas Utilities Program (RPUP)

Pinellas County Utilities and the City of Saint Petersburg are seeking $28 million to complete the Resilient Pinellas Utilities Program (RPUP). This project will increase the structural integrity for wind and flood hazards for up to five(5) Pinellas County Utilities and three (3) City of Saint Petersburg operations facilities, which are currently used for their countywide water and sewer emergency operations and are critical during emergencies. The goal of the Resilient Pinellas Utilities Program is to provide benefit to low and middle-income households throughout Pinellas County through the implementation of a coordinated approach to provide the necessary infrastructure to ensure continuous water delivery, wastewater conveyance and treatment, and collection system continuity to residents who shelter in place or shelter in County shelters, through up to a Category 4 hurricane and other flooding events.