Governor Andrew M. Cuomo announced on Saturday that the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has given state approval for a $730 million project that will repair the Bay Park Wastewater Treatment Plant that was severely damaged during Hurricane Sandy.

The project will fully repair the treatment plant, as well as help protect it from future storms. FEMA has committed at least $657 million dollars to the project, making this its largest infrastructure award. Cuomo stated that he would commit an additional $73 million in federal community development block grant funds to cover the remaining costs of the project.

“This funding will cover repairs to the Bay Park Wastewater Treatment Plant that was destroyed during Sandy and strengthen the facility against future storms, including building a state-of-the-art dike to protect against future flooding. The Bay Park Plant project has been a priority in our rebuilding process, and the State remains committed to helping Long Island reach its full recovery and to build back more resilient than before,” Cuomo stated in a press release.

The Bay Park Wastewater Treatment Plant is the largest wastewater treatment facility in Nassau County. The plant treats 58 million gallons each day, and serves more than 550,000 residents which represent 40 percent of the population in Nassau.

In addition to creating a new dike to protect against flooding, the project will also elevate and/or harden as many as 57 pump stations that protect one million residents from floods. It will also create a larger sewage collection line that will accommodate increased flow levels during storms.

During Hurricane Sandy, the plant’s main pumping system was overrun by nine feet of water. The engines were flooded, and sewage overflowed into some homes and even into some neighborhood streets.

The plant was shut down for 50 hours during Sandy, and 200 million gallons of sewage flowed into waterways. The flooding also destroyed the electrical system at the plant.

[Source: Governor Andrew M. Cuomo]