When a 500-year rainfall event struck St. Charles in July 2022, critical infrastructure across the city was left severely damaged. Seven different sites – each with unique failures – required immediate attention, coordinated design, and FEMA compliance. The City of St. Charles turned to a trusted partner in Bax Engineering to help assess, design, and restore key systems under intense time and funding pressures.

Bax Engineering mobilized immediately to assist St. Charles in stabilizing and restoring the affected sites. The firm conducted detailed topographic surveys, hydrology and hydraulic calculations, and designed infrastructure repairs that restored the City’s systems to safe, working order while incorporating measures to better withstand future storm events.

Designs included replacement of damaged storm sewer systems, rehabilitation of the lime lagoon embankments, and stabilization of eroded creeks using modern materials and best-practice methods. Bax also prepared full construction plan sets, specifications, cost estimates, and easement documents – coordinating closely with FEMA to meet strict approval criteria.

Throughout the process, Bax’s responsiveness was key. The team worked around ongoing park operations and fluctuating weather conditions to ensure design continuity, providing the city with actionable solutions at every step.

By late July 2023, designs of several sites were complete and approved for bidding, allowing the City to begin construction on those priority locations while final design work continued on the remaining sites. This phased approach helped the City stagger repairs, accelerate recovery efforts, and keep projects on schedule.

By the end of the year, all seven sites were fully designed and approved, enabling FEMA-funded repair work to move forward – restoring infrastructure and protecting nearby neighborhoods from future flood risk. The project not only reinstated pre-storm functionality but also introduced design improvements that enhanced long-term performance and resilience.

The outcome saved the City of St. Charles and its residents significant repair costs, with FEMA reimbursement covering the majority of expenses. City officials expressed appreciation for Bax’s quick response, accuracy, and ability to deliver under pressure.

The 2022 Flood Recovery effort exemplifies Bax’s reliability as an on-call engineering partner for municipal clients. The firm’s ability to respond quickly, navigate FEMA requirements, and manage multiple simultaneous projects under tight deadlines reflects its depth of expertise and trust within the community.

Whether addressing emergency infrastructure failures or planning long-term improvements, Bax continues to deliver thorough, responsive engineering that helps communities recover, adapt, and grow stronger.