With hurricane season just more than two weeks away, St. Petersburg officials are unveiling significant improvements to the city’s northeast wastewater treatment plant, aiming to prevent the kind of storm-related shutdowns that disrupted services during hurricanes Helene and Milton. After Hurricane Helene last September forced the plant offline for nearly a full day — prompting residents to avoid flushing toilets, showering, or using dishwashers to prevent system overload — the city decided to fast-track a $70 million, three-year project to bolster the facility’s resilience. “The theme of this year is clear. Resilience,” Mayor Ken Welch said. “Some services had to be temporarily suspended so that we could avoid extensive long-term damage and initiate repairs. That’s not a situation we want to be in again.” Key upgrades include an 11-foot concrete platform to elevate backup generators above storm surge levels, critical for a plant situated at just a 5-foot elevation. During Hurricane Helene, more than six feet of water inundated the facility, overwhelming its defenses. Additional improvements feature waterproofing measures — walls, doors and other surfaces have been treated to repel moisture and keep flood waters out. City Council Chair Copley Gerdes emphasized the city’s ongoing commitment: “The city is preparing. It has not stopped. Both administration and City Council are constantly thinking, preparing and imagining what the future has in store for us.” Public Works Administrator Claude Tankersley outlined future plans, including constructing a four-foot wall to raise the plant’s water resistance to 15 feet. The city is also cross-training workers to ensure enough staff can perform inspections and issue permits during emergencies. “Our goal, ultimately, is to not have to shut down during a storm,” Tankersley said. Officials say these upgrades are designed to keep the facility operational during severe weather, avoiding the extended outages that previously threatened public health and safety. Mayor Welch noted that further improvements are being considered for the plant’s administrative offices to ensure staff can safely remain on-site during hurricanes. The accelerated timeline for these projects reflects the city’s determination to avoid repeating past disruptions and to protect essential services as the 2025 hurricane season approaches.