Press Release
City of Fernandina
Submitted by Mary Hamburg
Public Information Office
July 19, 2017 3:43 p.m.
On July 18, 2017, Stormwater Manager Andre Desilet oversaw the startup of the City’s first ever Stormwater Lift Station. The lift station, located on the corner of West 3rd and North Fletcher Avenue, will provide an outfall for the stormwater system serving nearly twenty-nine acres in the North Fletcher area. This area has historically experienced flooding when runoff from significant storm events exceeded the capacity of existing ponds located on 3rd Street and 6th Street.
These ponds will provide treatment for runoff, and the pumping system will engage only when the water level reaches a specified elevation. The system will pump through 4,200 feet of 12” force main across Atlantic Avenue to discharge into Egans Creek. A propane powered generator will provide emergency backup power for this facility. This project was funded through a State appropriation managed by the Florida Department of Environmental Protection.
At its inauguration, the lift station successfully pumped eight inches of water in twenty seconds; 157 cubic feet a minute. This will substantially improve the drainage issues in the North Beach area.
Thank you to commissioner Len Kreger for his persistence over the years to obtain funds to fix the infrastructure of our beautiful island. Kudos to the members of the Stormwater and Utilities department for a speedy implementation.