Stormwater pump stations serve as a vital part of flood control for barrier island communities such as Hilton Head Island that have low-lying watersheds influenced by tides. The town’s Jarvis Creek and Lawton Canal pump stations, the town’s two oldest stations, needed major system upgrades as evidence by service failures, including during Hurricane Matthew, and mounting repair costs. The town undertook a more than $4.2 million rehabilitation of the stations, replacing electrical control systems, installing new and refurbished generators, overhauling submersible pumps, and upgrading remote monitoring, among other upgrades. 

 

After identifying the stations’ deficiencies, staff worked with the original pump manufacturer and a contractor to create a cost-effective improvement plan to improve reliability and protect against flooding from storms. Upgrades to the power systems, gates, debris screens and sediment dredging also aimed to reduce the risk of failure. Funding for the $4.2-million effort came entirely from property-based stormwater utility fees. The Jarvis Creek project reduces the potential for flood losses for more than 1,700 properties in its watershed, while the Lawton Creek project does the same for 1,800 properties in its watershed. 

The projects are vital to the town’s strategic plans and efforts to protect the community from rising sea levels. The upgrades help protect more than 3,500 properties, providing long-term, efficient flood control and stormwater management. The town also implemented a new web-based asset management program that will help efficiently document maintenance work that will help it manage and plan for ongoing costs.  

Contact Carolyn Grant at carolyng@hiltonheadislandsc.gov or 843.341.4618.