ONLINE ON WESH.COM. FLOOD PREVENTION TAKES ON MANY FORMS. YEAH, JUST LIKE YOU MIGHT HAVE A SINK IN YOUR HOME THAT DRAINS SLOWLY AND YOU ADDRESS IT. WINTER SPRINGS IS WORKING TO MAKE SURE ITS STORMWATER PIPES ARE FREE OF ANY CLOGS. WESH 2’S DAVE MCDANIEL SHOWS US THE WORK IN PROGRESS. THIS IS ALL ABOUT MOVING THE WATER FROM ONE PLACE TO THE OTHER AS EFFICIENTLY AND EFFECTIVELY AS POSSIBLE. BUCKET AFTER BUCKET OF SAND, DIRT DECOMPOSED LEAVES AND GRASS. THIS IS DAY ONE OF A PROJECT TO IMPROVE THE EFFECTIVENESS OF FIVE STORMWATER PONDS IN WINTER SPRINGS. WHAT THEY’RE NOT DOING IS MAKING THE PONDS THEMSELVES ANY DEEPER. WHAT THEY ARE DOING. SEE WHERE THIS RUNS RIGHT THROUGH HERE. THAT’S THE OUTFLOW OF THE STORMWATER SYSTEM. WHEN THAT STUFF GETS IN FRONT OF THAT PIPE, IT MAKES IT HARDER FOR THE WATER TO CLEAR DIRT AND GRIT THAT COMES IN OFF THE STREETS. YOU HAVE DEBRIS FROM TREES, LEAVES. ALL OF THAT STUFF GETS INTO THE STORM, STORM PIPES, AND THEY MOVE TOWARDS THE STORMWATER PONDS. AND AS THAT BUILDS UP, IT STARTS TO BACK UP INTO THE STREETS. WINTER SPRINGS HAD SIGNIFICANT FLOODING DURING IAN, BUT THAT WAS A HISTORIC RAIN EVENT A FEW WEEKS AGO. CREWS WERE CLEARING SEDIMENT OUT OF CREEKS AND STREAMS TO MAKE THEM FLOW BETTER. THIS IS THE SAME EFFORT TO CLEAR THE OUTFLOW FROM STORMWATER PIPES TO REDUCE ANY FLOODING THREATS. YOU’RE NOT GOING TO STOP ALL OF IT, BUT THE BETTER YOU CAN MANAGE THE STORMWATER RUNOFF, THE LESS LIKELY YOU’RE GOING TO HAVE SEVERE IMPACTS FROM FLOODING. A GRANT IS PAYING FOR 75% OF THE $169,000 FOR THE WORK, LEAVING THE CITY TO PAY ABOUT 42,000, ALL TO MAKE THE SYSTEM IN PLACE WORK THE WAY IT WAS DESIGNED AND MINIMIZING THE IMPACT OF HEAVY RAINS AND FLOODING IN WINTER SPRINGS. DAVE MCDANIEL, WESH TWO NEWS.
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Winter Springs improving 5 stormwater ponds ahead of hurricane season
Bucket after bucket of sand, dirt, decomposing leaves and grass is scooped out of one of five stormwater ponds under the city of Winter Springs' care."This is all about moving the water from one place to the other as efficiently and effectively as possible," said Matt Reeser, the city's communications officer. This is day one of a project to improve the effectiveness of those ponds.Winter Springs had significant flooding during Hurricane Ian, but that was a historic rain event which caused flooding all over. What they're not doing is making the ponds themselves any deeper. What they are doing is removing buildup of sediment from in front of the stormwater pipe. When that stuff gets in front of that pipe, it makes it harder for the water to clear."Dirt and grit that comes in off the streets, you have debris from trees, leaves, all of that stuff gets into the stormwater pipe and moves toward the stormwater ponds and as that builds up it backs up into the streets," Reeser said. A few weeks ago, crews were clearing sediment out of creeks and streams to make them flow better. Now this is the same effort to clear the outflow from stormwater pipes, to reduce any flooding threats."You're not going to stop all of it, but the better you can manage the stormwater runoff, the less likely you'll have severe impacts from flooding," Reeser said. A grant is paying for 75% of the $169,000 for the work, leaving the city to pay about $42,000 – all to make the system in place work the way it was designed."Minimizing the impacts of heavy rains and flooding," Reeser said. They hope to have it all done in a few weeks.
WINTER SPRINGS, Fla. —
Bucket after bucket of sand, dirt, decomposing leaves and grass is scooped out of one of five stormwater ponds under the city of Winter Springs' care.
"This is all about moving the water from one place to the other as efficiently and effectively as possible," said Matt Reeser, the city's communications officer.
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This is day one of a project to improve the effectiveness of those ponds.
Winter Springs had significant flooding during Hurricane Ian, but that was a historic rain event which caused flooding all over. What they're not doing is making the ponds themselves any deeper. What they are doing is removing buildup of sediment from in front of the stormwater pipe. When that stuff gets in front of that pipe, it makes it harder for the water to clear.
"Dirt and grit that comes in off the streets, you have debris from trees, leaves, all of that stuff gets into the stormwater pipe and moves toward the stormwater ponds and as that builds up it backs up into the streets," Reeser said.
A few weeks ago, crews were clearing sediment out of creeks and streams to make them flow better. Now this is the same effort to clear the outflow from stormwater pipes, to reduce any flooding threats.
"You're not going to stop all of it, but the better you can manage the stormwater runoff, the less likely you'll have severe impacts from flooding," Reeser said.
A grant is paying for 75% of the $169,000 for the work, leaving the city to pay about $42,000 – all to make the system in place work the way it was designed.
"Minimizing the impacts of heavy rains and flooding," Reeser said.
They hope to have it all done in a few weeks.
