Problem
The area surrounding Williston Road in South Burlington was developed prior to regulations requiring the treatment of stormwater runoff. As a result, the stormwater generated by the homes, businesses and roads in this area are collected by a closed pipe drainage system and discharged untreated to Potash Brook.
Description
Williston Road and the surrounding development discharges to tributary 3 of Potash Brook. Stormwater from this area was collected in a closed pipe drainage system that emptied into Potash Brook at the end of Midas Drive, behind the Commerce Square commercial development.
The Commerce Square development had a separate stormwater drainage system that directed stormwater runoff generated on site to a small detention pond located at the back of the property. This detention pond was originally designed to reduce the risk of downstream flooding during large rain events, but was not designed to provide treatment of stormwater runoff during smaller, more frequent, rain events. The discharge pipe for this existing detention pond was within 50-feet of the pipe that discharged the stormwater runoff collected by the Williston Road drainage system.
The City worked with the private property owner at Commerce Square to design a new stormwater treatment system in place of the existing detention pond. This new system combines the stormwater runoff collected from Williston Road with that of Commerce Square. The combined runoff is directed to an expanded detention pond where it receives water quality treatment. The new system includes a hydrodynamic swirl separator designed to remove sediment and other pollutants from the collected stormwater runoff during smaller rain events.
Benefit
The reconstructed stormwater detention pond behind Commerce Square now provides stormwater treatment for runoff associated with approximately 95.7 acres of developed land. This includes nearly 42 acres of impervious area. The overall reduction in sediment discharged to Potash Brook is expected to be nearly 19,000 pounds per year. In addition, the detention pond will reduce the rate at which stormwater is discharged to the stream.
Best Management Practices
Stormwater detention pond, stormwater pipe replacement, hydrodynamic swirl separator.
Timeline
The stormwater detention pond behind the Commerce Square development was completed in the summer of 2018.
Total Project Value
This project cost approximately $480,000.
Funding Sources
Construction of this project is funded bythe South Burlington Stormwater Utility, Pomerleau Real Estate, and the Vermont Department of Environmental Conservation’s Ecosystem Restoration Program (ERP). The City also worked with the Lake Champlain Watershed Environmental Assistance Program managed by the U.S. Army Corp of Engineers during the design phase of the project.
Last Updated: 8/20/18