Wednesday, December 19, 2001
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Wednesday, December 19, 2001 |
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New school helps protect watersheds As new schools are built to keep up with the growing population of the county, the Fayette County School System is doing its share to help protect the environment for current and future residents, according to officials. Cleveland Elementary School on Lester Road, slated to open during the 2002-2003 academic year, will feature an innovative storm water management facility that will not only assist with flood control, but also protect water resources downstream from the school. Site designers from Integrated Science and Engineering Inc. of Fayetteville developed a plan to cost-effectively incorporate this environmentally friendly storm water detention pond into the design and construction of the school. In developing the school site, ISE designers worked with the school system's staff and the city of Fayetteville to incorporate a water quality enhancement component into the site's storm water detention pond. Although the city did not require a water quality component in the detention pond design, the school system elected to incorporate this element because the costs were minimal and the benefits significant, said Mike Satterfield, facility director for the school system. "Superintendent John DeCotis and the Fayette County Board of Education have stressed to school system staff that we are to cooperate fully with city and county governments to minimize the impact of construction of new educational facilities on the environment," said Satterfield. The comprehensive detention pond at Cleveland Elementary not only captures storm water runoff, but it also filters the water to help remove pollutants commonly found in runoff such as fluid leaks from vehicles and eroded sediments. These pollutants accumulate on asphalt surfaces and are rinsed into the drainage system and detention pond during rainfalls. In traditional detention pond design, a majority of these pollutants would pass through the pond and ultimately be discharged into the downstream creek. The Cleveland school detention pond slows the discharge of runoff through a filter system consisting of soil, aggregate, vegetation and perforated pipe. Data from other ponds of this type indicate that these types of systems can filter out 60-80 percent of pollutants like automobile fluids. The pollutants are broken down further by natural processes within the detention pond, including the vegetation, soil bacteria and ultra-violet rays. Eroded sediment also is captured in the pond and not discharged downstream. Because the filtering is accomplished through natural processes, no mechanical systems or heavy maintenance activities are required beyond those of a traditional detention pond. "ISE has established itself in our profession as an innovative engineering design firm that incorporates various elements into the site design process to provide the greatest value to our clients. One area that we specialize in is design of storm water management facilities that address both water quantity and quality," said Ronald A. Feldner, principal of ISE. Traditionally, storm water detention ponds have served as flood control devices to minimize the downstream effects related to increased volumes of storm water runoff resulting from site development activities. Over the last several years, communities have become more knowledgeable with regard to water quality impairment issues resulting from the runoff. Development standards for communities like Fayetteville, Peachtree City and Fayette County have encouraged, but not necessarily mandated, site designers to address storm water from both a traditional flood control and water quality enhancement perspective. "Maintaining the health and vitality of Fayette County's watersheds is going to require the efforts of everyone, and I know that the Fayette County Board of Education is proud to take a leadership role in this area," said Satterfield.
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