News
Local Land Planner Receives Stormwater Steward Award
Apr 27, 2005 by Cail Hammons
Williams and Associates recognized for innovative stormwater design
The firm Williams and Associates, Land Planners P.C. has been awarded the 2005 Stormwater Steward Award from the Athens-Clarke County Transportation and Public Works Department.
The award recognizes exceptional stormwater management and the use of innovative design practices in construction and development projects.
The firm was chosen to receive the award based on its design of The Arches at Mitchell Street project. The site was designed to accommodate runoff from the construction of townhouses on a small urban parcel.
A typical problem with redevelopment of urban areas is a lack of space for the construction of ponds or treatment areas to meet current stormwater design codes. This can push development further into undeveloped areas.
To solve this problem, Williams and Associates looked underground. The firm designed an underground storage area to contain runoff from the property. While current design codes require that a storage area control and hold back the 25-year storm, the design went several steps further and actually controls the 100-year storm. The 100-year storm is a large rain event that can be expected once every hundred years.
Most underground storage areas hold stormwater and slowly release it over time. The goal is to provide a place for water to pool to prevent flooding. The underground storage at The Arches development does this and more. The design of the project included special slits in the storage pipe. These openings allow for water to infiltrate back into the soil.
The infiltration of stormwater into the surrounding soils is important because it recharges groundwater base flow.
“Infiltration of stormwater more closely mimics what would happen in the natural environment,” explains Melody Melton, the stormwater management engineer for Athens-Clarke County. “In addition, any pollutants that the runoff picked up as it flowed across the rooftops and parking area may actually be removed through the process of soaking into the soil.”
For the developer, underground stormwater storage maximizes the amount of usable land on the site. In this case, the result is an attractive development on a small urban parcel.
“We are honored to be named this year’s Stormwater Steward for Athens-Clarke County, and are very proud to be a part of this exemplary project”, said Jon Williams, president of Williams and Associates. “By using functional design practices, we were able to deal with stormwater management in an innovative way that is beneficial to our environment.”
The stormwater steward award will be presented at the GreenFest community awards ceremony on April 22 at the Lyndon House. The awards program will recognize positive environmental efforts from local industry, community groups, and individuals.
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Media Contacts:
Cail Newsome Hammons ACC Transportation and Public Works (706) 613-3440 ext. 384
Kelly Acosta Williams and Associates, Land Planners P.C. (706) 546-7137
Tagged: williams and associates, land planners, steward award, public works department
