Work as begun on the $10 million Heil Avenue Pump Station Project. Funded with support from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Hazard Mitigation Grant Program, the project aims at improving flood protection within the 89-acre area. Benefits of the new pump station are significant, including enhanced flood management capabilities to minimize unforeseen property damage to the adjacent 352 homes within the flood zone.
As part of the project, the City needed to relocate the existing Heil Avenue Storm Water Pumps and construct a new facility on a vacant lot at 7241 Heil Avenue, east of the Murdy Channel. The new pump station will include four pumps that will discharge to the existing Orange County Flood Control Channel. The existing Heil Avenue Pump Station will remain in operation during construction and will be demolished when the new station is complete.
Recent construction efforts include grading the future pump station site and underground utility relocation to clear the way for the discharge pipes to clear the way for the new culverts. Construction for tunneling under the existing Murdy Flood Channel are progressing – making significant strides for the project. The Heil Avenue Pump Station Upgrade Project remains on track to strengthen flood protection and resilience in Huntington Beach.
The original Heil Avenue Stormwater Pump Station was constructed in the late 1960’s to provide flood protection for the low-lying neighborhood homes. Much has changed over the years, and a FEMA study showed that the existing station is not equipped to handle a 100-year storm that’s expected to bring 142 cubic feet per second of water. If one of the pumps were to fail during the 100-year storm event, it would likely lead to a hazardous flooding situation.
Scheduled for completion in 2025, the project addresses limitations in the existing pump station’s capacity to manage floodwaters during severe weather events.
