ALDERSON, WV (WVNS) — After the floods of 2016, the Town of Alderson spent $4 million repairing damages and upgrading their flood system.
Mayor Travis Copenhaver said this includes replacing storm drains to ones with one-way valves. As the river level rises and covers the drainpipe, the valve closes, keeping more water from entering the drainpipe. Ultimately, keeping the water off the streets of Alderson.
“They’re duck bills. The bill closes down, and water can’t come back in,” Copenhaver said. “That keeps water like this from backing up into the storm drains. So, everything we’ve replaced in that $4 million upgrade has those closures on it and that’s on the Greenbrier side and the Monroe side.”
Copenhaver said those valves are submerged in the Greenbrier River. He said if those duck bills were not in place, the water would be backing up in town.
