ORANGE — United Illuminating has broken ground on a $47 million floodwall at Singer Substation in Bridgeport, the utility announced Tuesday, Aug. 12.
The floodwall, which is expected to be completed in 2027, is designed to protect critical UI transmission assets against the risk of flooding and damage due to severe weather. The floodwall is being built around the perimeter of the substation, with two floodgates for access, and it has now entered the sheet piling phase.
“With the changing climate and more frequent and severe storms, the Singer Substation floodwall is essential for protecting our customers’ access to critical electricity services,” said Frank Reynolds, President & CEO of UI. “The floodwall will prevent harm to our substation, leading to more reliable service in the community and reduced outages, especially in the event of severe weather.”
The Singer Substation is a 345kV transmission substation that provides electricity from Bridgeport to Norwalk. Because of its proximity to the Long Island Sound, the substation is at risk for catastrophic flooding and needs further protection. Extreme weather events such as Tropical Storm Irene in 2011 and Superstorm Sandy in 2012 necessitated an evaluation of the risk and potential impact of any severe regional flooding event on UI’s coastal substations.
In addition to the installation of a floodwall and gates around the substation perimeter, the project scope includes reinforcement of the Gas Insulated Substation (GIS) building walls and installation of a storm water management system.
“Our coastal substations are at significant risk of being severely damaged by regional severe flood events, and the proposed flood mitigation system is the most cost-effective solution to address flooding and protect our assets,” said Renni Pavolini, unit manager of Substation Projects at UI. “Once we complete this flood mitigation system, which has been engineered based on FEMA’s 100-year flood elevation plus 3 feet, homes and businesses in our community, as well as New England as a whole, will benefit from a more reliable and resilient electric transmission system.”
The first phase of the floodwall construction, which began in May, involves placing 57 king piles up to 42 feet deep in the ground followed by sheet piling. The completed concrete floodwall will reach 17 feet high. To enhance security, a fence will be installed atop the wall, bringing the final structure to 31.6 feet high. By the end of August, the king piles and sheet piles will all be in place, followed by a layer of concrete to complete the wall.
The Singer Substation floodwall is one of four flood mitigation projects at UI:
- New Pequonnock Substation Rebuild Projectin Bridgeport (completed)
- Congress Substation Floodwallin Bridgeport (completed)
- Grand Avenue/Mill River Substation Flood Mitigation Project in New Haven (in procurement phase)
