Staff recommends the City Council approve signing the Letter of Support for the FEMA Hazard Mitigation Grant Program (HMGP) Grant application.

The City Council is being asked to support staff's preparation and submittal of a $5 million application to the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Hazard Mitigation Grant Program (HMGP) seeking funds to support the City of Billings and Billings Bench Water Association projects. The first project would install the diversion structure from the BBWA canal into the West End Water reservoir, serving as the intake system into the Reservoir and Water Treatment Plant. The second project would install unloader systems to divert stormwater from the canal in instances of breaching, tunnel blockage, or other emergencies. 

These water system projects have been approved through the City's Fiscal Year 2024 budget process and will provide resiliency for the water supply which serves a local population of approximately 127,000 people. In addition, the water system provides water for commercial, industrial, and medical facilities that serve not only the City of Billings but all of southeast Montana. The existing water system is limited by a single source of supply and water treatment plant. If the treatment plant is out of service due to a natural disaster such as flooding, drought or landslides or a manmade event such as a hazardous material pipeline failure, the City can only supply drinking water and water for fire suppression for approximately 8-hours. The reservoir diversion structure project will provide a raw water delivery system, off system raw water storage, and a redundant water treatment plant, capable of providing approximately 40 days of drinking water supply in the event that the existing water supply or treatment facility are out of service. The stormwater unloader project will divert water from the BBWA canal during breaches, tunnel blockage, or other emergencies reducing the amount of water flooding nearby areas and causing widespread damages. 

The City of Billings is seeking Grant funding through the FEMA Hazard Mitigation Grant program that will be used to offset the cost of design and construction for the raw water delivery system (BBWA to West End Reservoir diversion structure), and stormwater unloaders to disperse the canal water in event of flooding, breaches, or other emergency situations. 

City Council may:

• Authorize signing the letter of support for the grant application, or;
• Disapprove signing the letter of support for the grant application. If the letter is not signed, staff will not submit a grant for the projects and alternative funding would need to be found to complete the projects. 

The FEMA HMGP Grant application total is $5,100,000 for the Reservoir diversion structure and two stormwater unloaders with local match for the grant making up $1,000,000, which has been approved through the adopted FY24 Budget.