Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Flood Control topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Engineer: FEMA accredits Morrisville levee; most properties will be removed from mapped floodplain
Summary
The borough engineer reported FEMA accreditation for the Morrisville levee, which should remove most properties behind the levee from the official floodplain and reduce mandatory flood-insurance requirements; the report also covered a municipal-authority wastewater relocation and preliminary waterfront and road-program planning.
Morrisville's borough engineer updated council on three interlocking infrastructure items: FEMA accreditation for the borough levee, an in-progress plan to relocate the municipal wastewater treatment plant and the borough's ongoing road‑paving program and waterfront study.
The engineer said FEMA has "accepted" the levee accreditation package, which confirms the levee meets the technical standards needed to qualify for accreditation. He said the accreditation will alter FEMA flood maps and "remove" most homes behind the levee from the mapped floodplain, meaning affected homeowners with mortgages will no longer be required to carry National Flood Insurance Program coverage after map updates. "If you own a property that's currently mapped in a floodplain and you get removed from the floodplain ... you don't have to [carry flood insurance] as part of the NFIP," the engineer said.
He cautioned that not all properties will be removed; some low‑lying parcels near the canal will remain in the mapped floodplain until a planned spillway and additional canal work are designed and permitted. The engineer described plans to work with state agencies (including DCNR and DEP) to design a spillway north of Calhoun Street to route canal runoff back to the river and avoid overflow behind the levee.
On wastewater infrastructure, the borough has received a formal application from the Morrisville Municipal Authority proposing to abandon the existing wastewater treatment plant and relocate treatment to the US Steel property; the authority is planning a pump station to convey flows to the new facility. The engineer said the borough has done a sketch-plan review and will work with the authority on siting to preserve redevelopment options for the vacated plant property.
The engineer also summarized a multi‑year road paving strategy, describing this year's large resurfacing effort as successful and advising a phased approach that identifies and later reconstructs problem areas where underlying utilities require full-depth work.
The borough will notify residents when FEMA's maps are updated, and the engineer recommended homeowners verify their insurance and mortgage obligations after the map change. Further design and permitting work — particularly for the canal spillway and the pump station — will require interagency coordination and grant funding.
