FEMA Grants $1 Million to Help Birmingham Maintain Water Supply During a Disaster
Release Date: March 11, 2008
Release Number: R4-08-087
ATLANTA, Ga. -- The U.S. Department of Homeland Security's Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has approved a $1 million grant to help the Birmingham, Ala., maintain water supplies during a power failure.
The grant will cover more than half the cost of an emergency generator for the Birmingham Water Works Board's Putnam Filter Plant. Without the generator, a power failure, such as might happen in any disaster, would disrupt water supply to roughly 150,000 residential, business, industrial and institutional customers.
"The filter plant location in Jefferson County is a critical infrastructure that is vulnerable to power outages resulting from violent storms, tornadoes, high winds, ice storms, hurricanes, and terrorist or other human attacks," said FEMA Regional Administrator Phil May. "At the same time, the operation of the Putnam Filter Plant is entirely dependent upon the Alabama Power Company, with no alternative power source in place. As a result, this emergency generator is the only way to ensure potable water in such an event."
The total cost of the generator project is not quite $1.9 million. The federal dollars come from money set aside from FEMA's Hazard Mitigation Grant Program (HMGP) to help the state of Alabama reduce potential effects of disasters after Hurricane Katrina struck in 2005. HMGP provides grants to states and local governments to implement long-term hazard mitigation measures after a major disaster declaration.
FEMA coordinates the federal government's role in preparing for, preventing, mitigating the effects of, responding to, and recovering from all domestic disasters, whether natural or man-made, including acts of terror.
Last Modified: Tuesday, 11-Mar-2008 14:25:07