September 30, 2021 – The City of Davenport has been awarded a $9.9 million grant from the Department of Commerce’s Economic Development Administration (EDA) to assist with a new flood protection system at the Water Pollution Control Plant. The plant serves an estimated population of approximately 139,216; this includes 48 large-scale industrial sites, 6,105 commercial properties, and 47,455 homes in Davenport, Bettendorf, Riverdale, and Panorama Park. The project was identified as a critical priority after the record 2019 flood.
“The need for an increased level of protection for the Water Pollution Control Plant and neighboring Compost Facility was identified as a critical priority after record flooding in 2019,” said Assistant City Administrator and Public Works Director Nicole Gleason.
Assistant Public Works Director Clay Merritt stated, “While the City worked to recover from the floods of 2019, a conceptual flood mitigation study began independently of the overall flood resilience study currently underway.”
The City applied for a disaster recovery grant through the EDA after a conceptual flood mitigation study for the facility was completed in the summer of 2020. The project will secure the southern perimeter of the Water Pollution Control Plant and Compost Facility by designing and constructing an earthen berm system of approximately 4,600 feet in length to the height of three feet over a 500-year flood event (river stage 28.5). In addition, the project will install interior pumping systems that ensure the plant continues to operate efficiently and effectively during high water events from the Mississippi River.
“This project is the first phase of a multiple phased project required to complete a full ring of protection around the facilities. The cost of the first phase is estimated at $12.5 million, with the four communities served by the facility providing the 20% required local matching funds. In addition, the City received a $4 million grant from the State of Iowa to assist in funding the second phase of the project,” Merritt further noted.
See the US Department of Commerce Economic Development Authority
Media Release at this link.