Chelsea Nelson dreads the summertime rains on Madeira Beach.
“We’ve had it come all the way up to our front yard, it’s not uncommon for it to flood the road where you can’t drive,” said Nelson.
City leaders on Madeira Beach are hoping a new valve system will help alleviate the problem. The Wapro valve system holds and drains water during the appropriate times. The system also has a unique feature where barnacles don’t grow and block the water flow.
“It pops the water out without letting the tide water come back in,” said Anna Maria Engineer Lynn Burnett.
Burnett said about forty of the valves have been installed on the Manatee County islands. She said they are still evaluating the results, but the valves seem to be working.
“We are installing them aggressively, because the tides are lower,” said Burnett.
Other coastal communities are looking to see how well the valve system works.
“We are all for it, any solution to the flooding would be great,” Nelson.
