(Lawrenceville, Ga., April 2, 2010) - When the flood last September collapsed corrugated metal drain pipes, a section of McDonough Drive collapsed with it. Now, after six months of complicated repairs, the road is open again.

Water Resources Acting Director Lynn Smarr said the road, near I-85 and Jimmy Carter Boulevard, was difficult to fix because of a 16-inch sewer force main and a four-inch high pressure natural gas line nearby. The County replaced the rusted-out 60-inch galvanized metal drain pipe and similar connected pipes with reinforced concrete before rebuilding the road.

Smarr said federal and state emergency funds should cover about a third of the repair cost of $900,000. Total damage to road drainage structures in Gwinnett during the flood was about $7.7 million. The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) said $5.5 million was flood-related and will pay about 75 percent of that cost. The state covers another 10 percent and County stormwater funds pay the rest. Smarr expects the County to get a total of about $4.7 million from federal and state emergency funds.

"These old metal drainage pipes are common, especially in west Gwinnett," said Board Chairman Charles Bannister. "When they fail under roads, we have no choice but to make repairs immediately and bring them up to current standards. That's an important role that our stormwater utility plays."