|
Stormwater Management
Federal Stormwater Phase II regulations are the driving force behind the increasing number of underground basins being constructed
for retention, detention, and infiltration of stormwater run-off. These regulations protect waterways from being polluted by run-off
from impervious surfaces such as building roofs and vehicle parking lots during a storm event and also address the recharging of
groundwater aquifers. But municipal planners and commercial and residential developers are also aware of the space-maximization
benefits of these systems.
Retention ponds are an all-too-common sight in our landscape. These eyesores consume acres of usable land. Sub-surface systems,
by comparison, can provide the same or more stormwater storage capacity as a retention pond with the same area, but these systems
allow the surface area to be used for parking lots, athletic fields, parks, or other green space.
There are a variety of underground stormwater storage systems available, ranging from the less-expensive, but inefficient, crushed
rock systems to elaborate, expensive concrete structures and pipe chambers.
The crushed rock approach requires filling an excavation with stone and covering it with soil or a paved surface to create a
storage basin. But the limited porosity of this fill (approximately 25-40% void space) requires large excavations for adequate
stormwater storage. Concrete structures, submerged tanks, pipe chambers, and the like can achieve greater stormwater storage
(higher void area) than crushed rock systems, but at a much higher cost in terms of labor, time, and money.
|
|
VARI-TECH LLC
4545 Wetzel Road
Liverpool, NY 13090
Ph: (315) 622-1800
Fx: (315) 622-1811
|