Case Study: Tropical Storm Debby and Wastewater Solutions During Disaster

Tropical Storm Debby landed in Florida on August 5. After landfall, the storm continued moving up the East Coast, causing widespread flooding and power outages.

Effects on Flordia

In Florida, where storms are a familiar threat, Debby heavily affected the Sarasota and Manatee Counties. The storm overwhelmed local wastewater systems, resulting in the dumping of 66 million gallons of sewage. On August 7, Sarasota County reported overflows at nine of its 785 lift stations, attributing the failures to intense rainfall, power outages, and clogs.

These incidents show a tropical storm's impact on essential infrastructure, especially when the systems in place are not designed to withstand such pressures.

Effects on the North

The storm quickly moved up the East Coast, causing widespread flooding and power outages. States like North Carolina and New York struggled to manage the aftermath. Even landlocked states as far north as Vermont felt the storm's effects, with nearly 170,000 customers across Ohio, New York, Pennsylvania, and Vermont losing electricity.

Flooding was severe in many areas, particularly in regions that rarely experience such disasters. This leaves essential services, such as wastewater treatment facilities, vulnerable to failure when needed.

How States Can Prepare in the Future

In the face of such challenges, reliable infrastructure is crucial. Opti-Float by Cox Research offers a unique advantage in disaster scenarios: it operates without electricity. This unique feature ensures that wastewater treatment facilities' float water level detectors can continue functioning even during widespread power outages.

By eliminating the need for electricity and replacing corrodible material with recyclable plastics, Opti-Float provides a reliable solution for maintaining the integrity of wastewater systems during storms and other emergencies. It's a simple yet powerful innovation that would prove useful during infrastructure failures like those in Sarasota and Manatee Counties during Tropical Storm Debby.

With the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) predicting more hurricane activity in the late season, it's more important than ever for industries to make intentional choices to safeguard their operations. Opti-Float offers a proactive approach to disaster preparedness, ensuring that critical infrastructure can withstand the unexpected.