New pump station to provide flood risk mitigation along Dallas' West Levee
For more than a decade, the City of Dallas has been working to improve and open new pump stations.
Tuesday, a groundbreaking was held for the new Charlie Pump Station. It's located south of downtown Dallas near the Trinity River.
It will provide flood risk mitigation with the capacity to collect and pump 225,000 gallons per minute of stormwater through the Charlie Pump System over the West Levee and into the Trinity River.
"It's about equity and opportunity to get access to housing where you don't have to worry about whether or not after it rains, you can wake up and your car is gone," Councilwoman Carolyn King Arnold said.
Residents who live in Dallas' Cedar Crest neighborhood said flooding has been a big issue for some time. Some are more memorable than others.
"Ten years ago, there was flooding.. and they saw a crocodile on the back," Lydia Ponce said.
Ponce has lived in her home since the early 90s and said so far, the flooding has only reached her backyard. Every time there's a lot of rain, she gets nervous.
"Concern because you know what if I lose our house or damage our property you know?" she said.
She's excited for the new pump station.
"It's going to help a lot because most of these people don't have flood insurance for flooding," she said.
This is all part of a bigger plan that was launched 12 years ago to make major upgrades to the city's old infrastructure.
The newly constructed Able and Baker pump stations and improvements to the Pavaho pump station have more than tripled the city's pumping capacity.
Last year, the city started construction on the Trinity Portland Pump Station which is scheduled for completion next year.