Among the security, infrastructure and emergency services items in the multi-faceted federal homeland security funding bill passed by Congress today, is one provision specifically designated to provide some assistance and relief to the City of Trenton as it continues its ongoing work to fortify the water filtration plant and mitigate flooding and contamination risk.

Rep. Chris Smith, who worked to secure the funding for Trenton in the fiscal year 2010 Homeland Security Appropriations Act, H.R. 2892, said “Trenton will use this money to take necessary precautions and help keep clean water flowing in the event of severe flooding.”

The line item targets $300,000 from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) budget to Trenton and builds on the $500,000 Smith helped secure for flood protection projects in Trenton in the 2009 bill.  It comes from a FEMA program designed to help local communities take the necessary precautions to prepare for floods while enhancing their ability to relieve damage suffered by the community once a flood has occurred. Smith said that ongoing federal, state and local efforts have taken aim at preventing future threats to public health that arise from flooding.

“The federal funds will be used for upgrades and flood proofing at the City’s drinking water filtration plant which is responsible for providing safe drinking water to 225,000 people in Trenton, Hamilton, Ewing, Lawrence and Hopewell,” Smith said. 

The plant, located on the Delaware River, has seen three major floods in recent years, including one in 2005 and two that occurred in 2007. Specifically, one of the 2007 floods caused significant damage to the plant’s circuitry and technical instruments and resulted in drinking water service being severely compromised for three days.

Smith and other members of the New Jersey delegation successfully convinced the federal government to grant a disaster declaration for the areas affected by the storm—which was the worst Trenton has seen since 1882.

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