FAYETTE -- The City Council hopes a product manufactured in Czechoslovakia is its answer to providing future flood protection.

On Tuesday, Doug Shackelford with Floodwalls of Washington, D.C., will demonstrate for the council and firefighters, a Kevlar-like material used as flood protection in Europe for more than 30 years.

Although Fayette residents escaped the floods of 2008, they weren't so fortunate in 1999. Some homes were demolished as a result, as was a motel.

After the 1999 flood, the city raised its earthen levee about 7 feet west of the downtown area. But there is still a small area, including the bridge itself, which could allow floodwaters to inundate businesses on Main Street. Since 1999, occasional threats of flooding of the Volga River have brought volunteers to fill sandbags.

Shackelford claims his system can be deployed by volunteers and emergency response personnel in less than two minutes per foot. Sandbags take more than 50 times longer, he added. The city seeks to provide protection in an area that is about 300 feet in length.

For comparison, the Floodwalls representative said a sandbag dike 300 feet long and 3 feet high would likely require 7,000 bags, 56 truckloads of sand and 700 man hours. When the water retreats, 250 tons of sand and debris remain for disposal.

"Sandbags are also a filter trap for bacteria, viruses and any toxic or hazardous chemicals carried in the flood waters," said Shackelford.

Council member Deena Serra discovered Floodwalls while researching flood control products on the Internet.

The city agreed to pay Floodwalls $2,000 to bring the product to Fayette for the demonstration that starts at 6:30 p.m., just south of the bridge on Main Street. If the city purchases the temporary flood barrier, that cost will be deducted from the overall price. The city could potentially spend $42,000 if it opts to purchase the flood protection barriers as proposed.

Business owners and the general public are invited to watch the demonstration.

Contact Janell Bradley

at jbradley@alpinecom.net.