ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — The City of St. Petersburg has installed four new backflow preventers in Shore Acres a couple of months ahead of schedule. This will help to prevent sunny day flooding in the neighborhood, according to Public Works Administrator Claude Tankersley.

“This is just the beginning,” he said. “We will continue to do this.”

In February, the St. Petersburg City Council approved spending $3.75 million for 56 new backflow preventers in Shore Acres. The project was scheduled to begin in June, but a few backflow preventers arrived early and were installed in April.   

“Ahead of schedule, yes we are,” said Tankersley. “I’m always hesitant to say that because something’s going to come along and slow us down.”

Contractors hired by public works installed the fourth new backflow preventer in the 1700 block of Bayou Grande Boulevard on Wednesday. The work crew struggled to pull out the 10-year-old backflow preventer from a manhole. Tankersley could see it wasn’t sealing properly.

“This didn’t close all the way. It’s not a water-tight seal,” he said. “So because of this, if the water got high enough, it could leak through this opening.” 

Sunny day street flooding has been a growing problem in the lowest lying neighborhood in St. Petersburg as sea levels rise due to climate change. Kevin Batdorf, president of the Shore Acres Civic Association, said he’s hopeful the new backflow preventers will help save residents’ cars from being damaged by seawater.

“For the sunny day flooding, which has been occurring more and more where people drive through saltwater two-to-three times a month, this is hopefully going to stop that,” he said. “It’s not going to prevent storm surge.”

Batdorf said the city has been responsive to residents pleas for more mitigation after Hurricane Idalia brushed by the area last August and flooded more than 1,200 homes. The SACA president said after years of neglect, the city has been much more transparent about the work they’re doing in the neighborhood.

“This is exciting news for Shore Acres. This is exciting news for the city of St. Pete,” he said. “This is long overdue, but it’s happening and it’s a step forward.”

Tankersley said he expects to have all 56 new backflow preventers installed in Shore Acres by August.

“Not only replace the old ones but looking for opportunities to put ones where they haven’t been before and we’re not just focusing on Shore Acres,” he said. “Shore Acres is ground zero. It’s where we had the most damage, but we’re looking at the city as a whole.”