Murphy on Yardley Flood Prevention Project

A note from the inbox. In case you were curious about what exactly backflow preventers are, I wrote a post on it in 2008. That is a statement I think very few (if any) other Pennsylvania political bloggers can make.

Next time the Delaware River rises over its banks, Yardley’s storm water system will be better prepared to handle the floodwaters. Thanks to funding secured by Pennsylvania Congressman Patrick Murphy (D-8th District), construction workers broke ground Tuesday on a project to install more than a dozen much needed backflow preventers in Yardley, which will help keep water from backing up onto roads and into people’s homes.

“An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure,” Murphy said. “This project creates jobs and helps prevent the costly damage we’ve had after previous floods.” He added that the project will generate construction jobs, as workers will be needed to install and maintain the backflow preventers.

“Thanks to Murphy’s efforts, Yardley will be in better shape and families will avoid a lot of the heartache that comes with seeing your home underwater,” said Bill Winslade, Yardley Borough manager.

The Congressman secured $280,000 for the project, though the National Flooding Insurance Program (NFIP) estimates that the cost of the project would be offset by the savings it incurs after a single flooding event, in terms of damage done to roads and homes. The backflow preventers will eliminate water backing up in Yardley’s storm water pipes and up through the inlets on the street.

When Murphy first entered office, he said he wanted to stop talking about flooding and start doing something about it. Since then, he has brought together Democrats and Republicans together to make flood prevention a priority.

To help residents and municipalities recover from previous floods and prepare for future ones, Murphy brought home over $3 million in FEMA grants and federal flood prevention funds, including funding for high-powered pumps that can quickly displace water from a flooded area. These projects save millions of dollars that would otherwise be spent on insurance claims and flooding repairs.