"As one of the city’s capital improvement projects, this will contribute overall to the improvement of the wastewater collection system, the city’s resiliency, and its ability to withstand flooding and storm surge," according to the city. Construction is expected to cost about $14 million, Slaughter said. The city expects FEMA to reimburse up to 75% of that and the state to reimburse 12.5% of the cost. So the city expects to pay for 12.5% of the project. Elevating the lift stations in the Plaza and on Avenida Menendez would create an eyesore, so instead, the city is floodproofing their control panels and adding flood-tight hatches, which keep groundwater from getting into the sewer system and being sent to the wastewater treatment plant unnecessarily, Slaughter said.