THOMASVILLE, Ga. (WTXL) — Hurricanes and major outages can lead to water and sewage issues in Thomasville, but new generators could help keep those systems moving during emergencies.
- The city approved a $876,823 generator project, with most funding coming from FEMA and GEMA.
- The generators will support 26 lift stations and prevent sewage overflows when storms knock out power.
Watch the video below to see where and when installations will begin.
Thomasville secures federal funding for new sewer backup generators
BROADCAST TRANSCRIPT:
When the power goes out, the sewage doesn't stop flowing. And without electricity, Thomasville's 26 lift stations can quickly fill up.
City crews say a long outage can cause sewage to back up into homes and businesses or even overflow at the station itself, causing costly damages.
Backup generators could prevent that.
They're designed to start running instantly during an outage, keeping stations pumping and preventing flooding during major storms.
"So, what a backup generator will do is, when that power kicks off, it will then switch over to the backup generator, and the generator will start running electricity...What's behind us is what's called a lift station. At low points in the sewer system, the sewage is actually pumped to a higher elevation, so it can then flow downhill again," said Britt Wetherington, Interim Assistant City Engineer.
Thomasville is using a Hazard Mitigation Grant, created after past hurricanes, to install these generators.
The project costs $876,823, with most of the funding coming from FEMA and GEMA.
The city is covering just over $202,000 to match the grant.
Wetherington says the installation will begin as soon as the contract is executed and the generators arrive.
If you live near Grove Point, Madison Grove, or South US-19, crews say you'll see these new generators first.
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