Buckeye pursues $42.7 million in federal grants for wastewater and downtown flood mitigation

Buckeye pursues $42.7 million in federal grants for wastewater and downtown flood mitigationThe Arizona city approved FEMA BRIC grant applications to fund a $15.5 million ring levee protecting its central wastewater plant and a $27.2 million downtown stormwater drainage system.

The City Council approved a $15.5 million grant application to construct an earthwork ring levee around the Central Wastewater Reclamation Facility, seeking $11.6 million in federal funding.

A separate $27.2 million grant application was approved to install a comprehensive storm drain and retention basin system in historic Downtown Buckeye.

The wastewater levee project aims to protect 10,463 service customers from sewage backups and prevent raw sewage from entering the Gila River during a flood event.

Local matching funds of $3.87 million for the levee and $6.8 million for the downtown stormwater project will be drawn from the city's Capital Improvement Program (CIP) budget.

The City of Buckeye, Arizona, is advancing two major flood mitigation projects totaling $42.7 million to protect critical municipal infrastructure and historic downtown areas from severe storm events. During a May 19 meeting, the Buckeye City Council ratified the submission of two grant applications under the Federal Emergency Management Agency's (FEMA) Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities (BRIC) program. The first application targets $15.5 million for the design and construction of a flood prevention earthwork ring levee around the Central Wastewater Reclamation Facility (CWWR Facility). The city is requesting $11.625 million in federal funding, backed by a $3.875 million local match programmed in its Capital Improvement Program (CIP) for fiscal years 2027 through 2029. According to city documents, the CWWR Facility and its 3.97-acre expansion area are located within a federally designated flood zone adjacent to the Gila River. The facility currently serves approximately 10,463 customers. An engineering feasibility study determined that a flood failure could result in catastrophic electrical and mechanical damage, potentially releasing up to 10 million gallons of raw sewage daily into the river or backing up into customer infrastructure. The proposed ring levee will be constructed to an elevation of 849.90 feet, providing sufficient freeboard to mitigate a 100-year flood event. The design also incorporates nature-based solutions to divert floodwaters away from the facility and into the riverbed. During the meeting, a council member expressed strong support for the levee application, referencing the devastating impacts of historical river flooding and emphasizing the critical need to protect the wastewater plant. In a concurrent action, the council approved a $27.2 million BRIC grant application to overhaul the stormwater management system in historic Downtown Buckeye. The project, which requires a $6.8 million local match, involves installing storm drainpipes and catch basins along Monroe Avenue. Stormwater will be conveyed under Sixth Street to a new retention basin, before being channeled to the Gila River through a nature-based irrigation canal system. The infrastructure is designed to alleviate recurring flooding during a 10-year, 2-hour storm event. If awarded, both grants will accelerate construction timelines originally slated for later years in the city's CIP.