PICAYUNE —
Pearl River County’s Utility Authority survived Hurricane Isaac with only minor damage to water and waste water systems during the hurricane and the flooding it caused.
The agency did sustain flooding at seven pump stations in Picayune, sewage line breaks in Poplarville and Picayune, water line exposure near Lake Hillsdale and power outages in the Hide-A-Way Lake subdivision, but all in all the damage was minimal, said Executive Director Jeff McClain.
Flooding affected pump stations on Read Road, Circle Drive, Westchester Drive, North Main Street, U.S. Highway 11 near the mini storage and on East Canal Street. Some of the pumps dried out and still work, but some were damaged by the flooding and will need to be replaced. McClain said he is in the process of applying to FEMA to get an assessment on reimbursement of some, if not all, of the expense.
Two sewer lines, one in Poplarville at Beers Street and another at Alpine and Lakewood in Picayune, collapsed from the torrential rain that fell during Hurricane Isaac or from a downed tree’s roots breaking the line, McClain said.
Overflow and washouts in the Hillsdale area exposed a water line, but the line remained intact. Repairs were made by boring under the lake to ensure the line remained operational.
Some newly installed grinder pumps lost power in Hide-A-Way Lake, but the use of generators, the quick response by power companies to restore power and efforts by Utility Authority crews prevented waste water backups, McClain said.
“It was a learning experience for us. It was the first time we had a system that large,” McClain said.
The waste water treatment plants in the county’s two municipalities came through the storm with no damage. The effects of a 30 minute power outage at the Neal Road plant in Picayune were minimized by the use of a generator. McClain said the Neal Road location recorded 22 inches of rain during the storm.
At a recent meeting of the Utility Authority board, several project bids were approved. A contract to install waste water lines along Highland Commons Parkway was awarded to HRL Contracting. The $713,000 contract is to install a sewer main from U.S. Hwy. 11 to Cooper Road. The work began in July and is expected to take about 180 days to complete.
Work to repair damage from two instances of flooding, including the one from Hurricane Isaac at the pump station on U.S. Hwy. 11 near the mini storage, will ensure waste water from the north end of Picayune will continue to head to the Neal Road treatment facility. New motors and an electrical system will be installed as part of the $222,000 contract awarded to TL Wallace Construction. The project is expected to begin next week and will take about 60 days to complete, McClain said. The system is currently operating off a bypass pump.
Residents who were formerly on the Dixie Utilities system will see water line work take place soon as part of a $670,000 contract awarded to Jay Beardon Construction. The contract is to install new water mains along several streets in that area, including in Eagle Heights, in Westchester and along Liberty Road, McClain said.
The second and final phase of work in HAWL is to install the last set of sewer lift stations and retire antiquated septic tanks. There are only 56 units left to install. McClain said 122 homes from the first phase opted to have their septic tanks decommissioned. The program is nearing an end, but the Utility Authority was able to install grinder pumps for 873 homes in the gated community.
The next board meeting is scheduled for 2 p.m.. Sept. 20, at Poplarville City Hall.
Local News
Utility Authority made it through Isaac with little damage
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