The City of Branson has just finished new improvements to protect critical city infrastructure at the Compton Sewer Treatment Plant. The City has continuously worked on improving its flood defenses after each big flood and currently are using lessons learned during the 2017 flooding events.
Last fall the City made improvements in narrow areas of an earthen berm surrounding the Compton wastewater treatment plant, widening the top of the berm from 12’ to 17’. This will greatly improve deployment conditions of an Aqua Dam, an expandable rubber membrane, which gives an additional six feet of protection around the facility when the device is filled with water.
In the photos attached you can see some of the Utilities personnel leveling the area where the Aqua Dam is deployed between the Compton Lab building and the golf course. This area has been raised 2’ to match the level of the berm and widened around the lab building so the City does not have to remove an AC/Heat condenser like last time (in second photo). The improvements will be feathered out, seeded with grass and maintained with the grounds.
The City also spent around $7,000 to buy 800’ of roll out discharge hose for our portable pumps. The City had to bring in hose from outside entities last time to meet its need. The fence in the left side of photos has been reinstalled after being damaged when the Aqua Dam was last deployed. It has also been set back several feet to allow room for work in the future. That move was coordinated with Parks. A fence at Lift Station 10 located on Bird Road, which was washed out in last years’ flash flooding, has also been replaced.
“It is imperative we do what we can to protect the City’s critical treatment infrastructure and facilities. The three 100-year floods we’ve had in the last three years have taken their toll, but with these new improvements, we will certainly be ready for the next one,” said Utilities Director Mike Ray.
The City has also identified a need for additional pumping capacity at the Compton plant effluent structure if the lake level reaches the Aqua Dam. A plan to meet this need is now in place. The City is also making improvements in the Compton plant effluent filter structure to prohibit internal flooding through plant basins if the lake reaches that level.
The City also has budgeted funds in this years’ budget to construct a storage building for the Aqua Dam.