Stormwater Pond Maintenance

Location

Throughout South Burlington

Description

City owned and maintained stormwater detention ponds are inspected on a regular basis. During these inspections, Stormwater Utility staff checks for: obstruction of pond inlet pipes and outlet structures, impediments to flow through the system, shoreline and berm erosion, sediment build up in the pond, and numerous other items that can reduce the treatment effectiveness of stormwater ponds.

Pond maintenance and sediment removal
Sediment forebay at Farrell Street stormwater detention pond. To ensure the effectiveness of the pond, the sediment collected in the forebay must be removed on a regular basis (photo taken during construction).

Benefit

Proper maintenance of stormwater ponds and other stormwater treatment practices (e.g. swirl separators, constructed wetlands, etc…) is crucial to ensuring that they provide effective treatment of stormwater runoff.  If ponds are not maintained they can fail and become a source of pollution.  Identifying and correcting small problems on a regular basis prevents large problems (e.g. berm failures) from occurring.

Sediment removal
Sediment removal from Barlett Bay stormwater treatment wetland forebay. Prior to removing the accumulated sediment, the forebay is drained to prevent discharges of sediment laden water to the stormwater treatment wetland.

Best Management Practices

System Maintenance

Dates/Timeline

Last Updated: 11/2009

Funding Sources

Stormwater Utility Funds