HARRISBURG – Rep. Dave Hickernell (R-Lancaster/Dauphin) and Sen. Ryan Aument (R-Lancaster) announced that today, the Commonwealth Finance Authority (CFA) met and approved a $176,022 grant to allow Mount Joy Borough to proceed with its stormwater basin rehabilitation project to alleviate flooding within the borough.
“Mount Joy has experienced major flooding events due to the limited capacity of their stormwater basin,” Hickernell said. “The basin has flooded twice in a seven-year period, causing significant damage, particularly on private property and a railroad of way. I am pleased the CFA saw the importance of this project in the application and provided a significant portion needed to get this flood project done.”
“The stormwater basin was built in 1994 and was supposed to have the capacity to handle a 100-year storm event,” Aument said. “However, recent studies have determined that the basin can only handle 60 percent of a 100-year storm, leading to heavy flooding during Tropical Storm Lee in 2011 and a flash flood event on Aug. 31, 2018.”
Mount Joy Borough Manager, Sam Sulkosky, said the basin upgrade is desperately needed as residents are anxious about another flood and the damage caused by previous floods has been very costly in property loss, damage and cleanup.
Sulkosky detailed the scope of work the CFA grant will enable to be accomplished.
“The Borough of Mount Joy is pleased to receive the Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development’s Flood Mitigation Program Grant, which will enable the Borough to complete the Mount Joy Borough Stormwater Detention Basin Improvement Project,” Sulkosky said. “The proposed $207,085 in improvements include the following:
- Reconstruct the swale/pipe in the northwest corner of the basin.
- Excavate the basin bottom by 2 feet and regrade at a 0.50% slope to maintain appropriate dewatering time.
- Raise the basin berm to an elevation of 385.00 and the spillway to an elevation of 384.50.
“These three improvements will increase the capacity of the Basin by 159,000 CF to a total holding capacity of 325,907 CF. In addition, the project will:
“Update the outlet structure in the southwest corner to have a 4” orifice with an invert of 376.12 and a 6” orifice with an invert of 380.00 to decrease the peak discharge of the Basin. After the project is completed, the Basin will accommodate the 100-year storm event and mitigate the existing flood risk.”
CONTACT: Ryan Boop (717) 787-4420 (Senator Aument)
Charles Lardner (717) 260-6443 (Representative Hickernell)