Burnet eyes disaster mitigation upgrades
Burnet City Council Chambers. Staff photo by Caden Senn
The city of Burnet will further reinforce its emergency preparedness by purchasing two portable generators and upgrading several water facilities using grant funding from the Federal Emergency Management Agency.
According to the Burnet City Council’s May 12 agenda, the project will cost approximately $751,200 and be fully completed around August 2027. The council accepted a grant totaling $563,400 from FEMA on April 14, leaving the city to cover the remaining $187,800 using budgeted water and wastewater funds.
The portable generators will serve nine facilities throughout the city– eight lift stations and one well– that will receive several upgrades to allow for the quick transfer, connection, and protection of the generators.
City Engineer Eric Belaj explained to the council during its May 12 meeting that the generators and associated upgrades would be vital to keeping the city’s water and wastewater facilities running in the case of an emergency.
“If the power goes out, we still need lift stations and pump stations to work,” Belaj said. “If you have a portable generator on-site, this will help with that. (The generators) are 100 percent better than what we have right now.”
Councilors approved an engineering award totaling $91,500 for the project on May 12, granted to GLS Engineering Firm, and will look to bid out a construction contract in the coming months.