New Orleans Storm Water Management System Under Scrutiny for Further Improvements

As New Orleans once again faces the threat of floodwaters inundating their streets, local communities face the grim reality that it is almost inevitable. However, difficult and challenging the situation may be, this is not something that they can--or should--easily give up on.

The lessons of Hurricane Katrina, while painful, ought to be kept in mind so that the tragedy does not happen again. For their part, the local government immediately looked to other model countries, such as the Netherlands, so they can better learn how to handle the situation.

The Importance of Stormwater Management

Stormwater management is a complex process that depends mainly on the environmental landscape and other factors to be successful. With the right planning and implementation, it could easily prove to be a viable solution for the long run. Read more from this blog. http://bit.ly/2xgQFwO

Government and Property Owners Should Strive Jointly to Make Storm Water Management Work

The responsibility of storm water management should not be assumed as the sole burden of your local government. After all, the consequences of out-of-control precipitation runoff deeply affects every property owner in the area. This is especially true in New Orleans, where devastation occurs whenever there is a storm. Storms hit frequently enough to dub New Orleans as the sinking city.

Why Storm Water Management is Important

 By definition, storm water can come from rain, melting snow, homeowners who water their yards or wash their cars and driveways. As it freely flows from rooftops, paved areas, bare soil and sloped lawns, it accumulates pollutants (e.g., pesticides, fertilizers, dry leaves, animal wastes), which are then unintentionally carried and collected in streams, wetlands, rivers and lakes. Consequently, it greatly affects the quality of the city’s water resource and therefore the overall quality of your household water. Read more from this blog. http://bit.ly/2f2fQIJ

ENGINEERING FIRM DISCUSSES THE DIFFERENT STORMWATER MANAGEMENT STRUCTURES CITIES CAN BUILD

When it rains, the only risk most New Orleans residents worry about is that of flooding. As local officials and engineers know, however, a deluge isn’t the only issue worth preparing for.

Urban centers are blanketed with non-porous surfaces such as roads and parking lots. When it rains, the water does not readily get absorbed, and instead goes down the sewer systems. While New Orleans’ sewer systems are equipped to handle a sudden influx of water due to strong rains, they too have their limits. Should the rainwater—also called stormwater runoff—exceed the sewer system’s capacity, the dirty water can spill onto the streets and even into bodies of water such as the Mississippi River. When this happens, both humans and sea creatures may be exposed to dangerous pathogens and chemicals.

On the other hand, even a brief episode of rain can still cause problems, because the rainwater can also carry garbage and other wastes down the sewer system. If not properly stored and treated, this dirty water can leak and contaminate nearby bodies of water too.

Managing Stormwater Runoff

As you can see, ensuring the proper management of stormwater is crucial, especially in cities like New Orleans that regularly experience rains. The good news is that there are many infrastructures that help cities manage runoff effectively. Let’s take a look at some of the options. Read more from this blog: http://bit.ly/2uZ1jEe

Ongoing Efforts for Road Work and Stormwater Management in New Orleans

In 2005, Hurricane Katrina caused flooding in 80% of New Orleans, covering an area of 90,000 square miles, and accumulating over $81 billion in damage to properties. In fact, it took several weeks and the collective efforts of all agencies involved to completely pump out over 250 billion gallons of water out of the city.

Indeed, water can be a major problem, especially in this flood-prone region. The locals are often on edge and anxious whenever hurricanes strike, as they don’t know how the city can handle the brunt of another disaster. Without stormwater management, massive amounts of water will settle into urban areas, making it impossible for residents to come back to their homes. Plus, excessive water brings forth a host of other major issues. Read more on this article. http://bit.ly/2rl4qHp

The Critical Role That Storm Water Management Plays in Enhancing Everyone's Lives

Even today, the devastation wrought by Hurricane Katrina continues to haunt New Orleans. Concern still lingers that another hurricane might hit the area in the future, only to send the community back into a spin once more. This is why various companies are implementing innovative storm water management practices intended to keep the city above water should a force of nature strike again.

As urbanization continues to spread across America, the imminence of more storm water runoff is a frightening reality. As previously open, vegetated spaces are displaced by concrete and structures, the storm water dilemma will only grow in its severity.

Storm water runoff originates from many sources, natural and manmade. In urban settings it ends up flowing overland instead of seeping into the ground, where plants and trees manage its volume and filter it before it enters waterways. If there is no effective substitute for natural processes, excessive storm water can cause significant waterway pollution throughout the country. Read more from this blog: http://bit.ly/2oDoPCk

Implementing Better and Smarter Stormwater Management to Keep Communities Flood-Free

Louisiana has had its share of calamities over the years — from strong hurricanes to massive flooding. Throughout these ordeals, the Pelican State remains steadfast, ready to rise anew, and looking forward to a bright future as it rebuilds and improves its cities.

The task of recovering from intense damage to urban areas won’t be possible without the services of civil engineering firms. These specialists are the go-to people of city officials in designing better stormwater management systems aimed to protect cities and avoid future flooding from happening.

Recovering and Rebuilding after Katrina

The devastation that Hurricane Katrina brought in August 2005 caused massive flooding to over 80% of the state, majority of the damage was in residential areas. As total damage reached over $135 billion, a huge portion of government funding was for relief and to help families relocate. The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) had allotted nearly $15 billion to Louisiana and other gulf states for infrastructure projects to fix roads, bridges, schools and other buildings in the aftermath of the hurricane. Read more from this blog: http://bit.ly/2mB8qOx

Storm Water Management Techniques Your Business Needs to Implement

When water from rain or melting snow doesn’t soak into the ground, it can flow and collect animal waste, litter, salt, pesticides and other contaminants along the way. It is important to prevent this untreated and contaminated water from entering lakes, rivers, wetlands and other waterways.Here are several green methods your business can use to prevent stormwater from accumulating and impacting the surrounding areas.

Consider Installing Pervious Pavement

You may have concrete or asphalt around your entire property. Although these materials are
durable and great for commercial properties, they are not permeable. This means water doesn’t
get soaked up and ultimately flows to other places, potentially adversely affecting the
environment.

Read more on this article: http://bit.ly/2k7YIm5

Two Methods that Enhance Storm Water Management

It’s important for your company to master storm water management so that your building does not become vulnerable to damage over the years. With the right preparation, this process doesn’t have to be as complex as it seems. 

Beyond Rainfall: 3 Types of Reclaimed Water

The water gathered from rainfall is not the only kind of water that can be treated to restore its quality for reuse. Storm water, in fact, only makes up part of the total amount of water reclaimed yearly for various potable and nonpotable uses.

Critical Issues Facing Storm Water Management

Heavy rain in urban areas can actually be welcome relief, especially after a scorching hot summer season. It naturally washes away dirt and grime on the streets and structures, and also provides nourishment for the plants and trees. The problem, however, occurs when these urban areas are not well-equipped to handle the resulting stormwater.

What is Stormwater?

Stormwater typically comes from water runoffs from lawns, parking lots, gutters, constructions sites, industrial complexes and more. Without the proper management structures in place, it could overwhelm the drainage and sewage systems, inundating the ground level with flood.

The consequent risks do not end there. When left to run off, stormwater can carry with it pollutants from gardens, sediments, soils, slough, and other contaminants such as grease disposed from residences, automobile oil from vehicles, bacteria from animal wastes and deposits from other airborne pollutants. When these enter streams and rivers through the sewer systems, the bodies of water then become contaminated and polluted as well.

Stormwater Management

Dams, canals and improved drainage systems are just a few of the examples of effective stormwater management systems. What these do, essentially, is to direct the runoff to a structure that will collect the stormwater.

Depending on the set measurement of water level in the collecting dam, for example, the stormwater runoff will then be filtered to clear of debris and, possibly, treated of the contaminants and pollutants before it is slowly released to streams and other bodies of water.

What is essential in this process is the element of control. With the gradual release of the collected stormwater, the drainage systems are not overwhelmed and urban flooding is thus mitigated. At the same time, because of the filtering and treatment processes, the bodies of water are protected against contamination and pollution.  

Understanding the Pump to the River Project

Due to the swampy wetland geography surrounding Louisiana, this state is prone to flooding. Couple that with having populous cities, it warrants great efforts in improving water drainage and control, which the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) addresses with a program under the Southeast Louisiana Urban Flood Control Project.

How Stormwater Management Shapes Urban Areas

The passing years have not been gentle with the American urban landscape, particularly to storm and hurricane-prone areas like the New Orleans. This is probably why most cities implement an effective stormwater management system to counteract the negative effects of storm water run offs to prevent floods and soil erosion.

Top Storm Water Management and Design Trends

With extreme weather, particularly storms, affecting several parts of the country, the need to implement efficient storm water management is more critical than ever before. To achieve this, take a look at current trends that have been proven to provide solutions to current storm water management issues. Fortunately, many civil engineering firms are becoming able to provide the right storm water solutions.