Cherokee wastewater plant relocation delayed at least a year after FEMA eligibility setback

Cherokee’s plan to relocate its flood-damaged wastewater treatment plant has been delayed at least one year after FEMA determined the project did not meet a requirement tied to repetitive damage.

The setback was discussed at a Cherokee City Council meeting on July 7, after city officials reviewed 18 active FEMA projects with a FEMA representative during the preceding week. The review covered projects connected to Cherokee’s flood recovery efforts.

Why FEMA changed the timeline

FEMA leadership determined that relocation projects had to meet three criteria. The criterion at issue for Cherokee was repetitive damage.

According to the explanation presented to city officials, the wastewater treatment plant did not meet that standard because the flooding was the facility’s first recorded damage under the rule being applied. As a result, the relocation plan cannot move forward on its previous timeline and is now delayed by at least a year.

The plant was damaged during flooding, making its future location part of the city’s broader recovery and infrastructure planning. Moving the facility would be intended to address the long-term vulnerability of a critical municipal utility, but the FEMA eligibility determination has interrupted that plan.

Separate buyout effort remains part of flood recovery

The plant decision comes as Cherokee also works on a separate proposal involving flood-damaged property. Earlier in May, the City Council voted to apply for an Iowa Economic Development Authority disaster-recovery grant to help fund buyouts of 26 properties damaged in the 2024 floods.

That buyout application concerns individual properties, while the wastewater plant relocation involves critical city infrastructure. Together, the efforts show the different parts of Cherokee’s continuing response to flood damage: reducing exposure at affected properties and determining how to address damage to a major public utility.

The FEMA review involved 18 active projects, so the plant’s eligibility issue was considered alongside other Cherokee recovery work. The repetitive-damage determination specifically affects the relocation plan for the wastewater treatment facility.

The immediate result is a delay of at least one year for the proposed relocation. The city’s next long-term path for the plant will depend on how officials address the FEMA eligibility issue and continue planning for flood-damaged infrastructure.