Issue Position: Local Issues - Helping Yardley Recover from Flooding

Issue Position

Issue Position: Local Issues - Helping Yardley Recover from Flooding

After three floods in 22 months, the sewer system in Yardley was left severely damaged. Flood waters entered the sewers, pushing waste water into homes and businesses, and devastating the local economy and hundreds of homes. Following the June 2006 flood, Yardley Borough was forced to borrow $6.4 million to cover the costs for repair to its badly damaged sewer system. Yardley was only set to receive $112,324 through FEMA's Public Assistance Grant Program, the burden on taxpayers was significant.

* Congressman Murphy announced $614,280 in additional funds for sewer repair. This additional money brings the total assistance to $726,604.
* This substantial increase will help rebuild the parts of Yardley's infrastructure damaged by the June 2006 storm. It will also ease the tax burden on Yardley residents, who are footing the bill.
* Congressman Murphy was also able to secure an additional $500,000 for the sewer repairs though the appropriations process - bringing the total federal assistance for sewer repairs over $1.1 million. Several Yardley neighborhoods, in fact, were flooded primarily not by water overflowing from the Delaware, but from water that backed up through the Borough's waste water system.
* Congressman Murphy secured $530,000 in funding to proactively help prevent future flooding damage from canal overflow by funding the cost, purchase and installation of Back-Flow Preventers. These Back-Flow Preventers would prevent water from backing up and would prevent flooding and water damage in the event of future storms.

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