AGENDA #5d
MEMORANDUM
TO: Mayor and Town Council
FROM: W. Calvin Horton, Town Manager
SUBJECT: Report on Drainage Complaints Associated with the Rusch Road Habitat for Humanity Development
DATE: April 25, 2005
This report responds to a petition submitted at the Town Council’s Budget Forum on March 23, 2005. The petitioners expressed concerns about drainage problems associated with the Rusch Road Habitat for Humanity development. Please see the attached map.
The petitioners also requested assistance from the Town for provision of sanitary sewer connections. A separate report regarding sanitary sewer connections will be presented to the Council at its May 9 meeting.
BACKGROUND
At the March 23, 2005 Town Council Budget Forum, two citizens, Mr. Tom Tucker and Mr. Robert Campbell, reported stormwater drainage problems on their properties that they believe were caused by the Rusch Road Habitat for Humanity development. Mr. Tucker stated that the Habitat construction had changed the way stormwater flowed in the area. Mr. Campbell said that the Habitat construction had caused “stormwater to overpower the neighborhood”, and reported that he had experienced 2.5 feet of standing water in his backyard in December 2004.
In addition, Mr. Campbell and his neighbor Ms. Barbara Hopkins were notified by the Orange County Health Department that, because of failing septic systems serving their properties, they had to connect to sanitary sewer by May 1, 2005.
Staff from the Town Engineering and Inspections Departments performed field inspections at the site in March and April. Staff noted that approximately two feet of fill material had been placed on the Habitat property, raising the finish grade of the Habitat lots above the adjacent properties.
Staff also noted that wastewater from failed septic fields was ponding in yard areas of Mr. Campbell’s and Ms. Hopkins’ property adjacent to the Habitat development A storm sewer yard inlet was close to the ponded wastewater. Fortunately, the top of the yard inlet was several inches above the adjacent ground and it did not appear that wastewater had entered the yard inlet and subsequently downstream surface waters. Discharges of this nature are prohibited under state and federal laws. Inspections Department staff directed the contractor to plug the yard inlet to prevent wastewater from entering the storm drainage system until the failed septic system problem could be addressed. Mr. Campbell stated that prior to the Habitat construction, stormwater runoff had flowed away from his property and through the area now occupied by the Habitat development.
DISCUSSION
Based on field inspection and review of aerial photography, the Engineering Department determined that, before fill material was placed on the Habitat site, stormwater drained away from the Campbell and Hopkins properties and across the Habitat property.
When the Habitat site was re-graded, fill material blocked the normal flow of stormwater runoff from adjacent properties. After the December 2004 flooding incident (referred to by Mr. Campbell), the Habitat developer installed the above referenced yard inlet and storm drain pipe to collect and convey stormwater away from the adjacent properties that were experiencing periodic flooding problems.
The Habitat developer has also installed sanitary sewer connections to serve the Campbell and Hopkins properties, as required by the County Health Department, to replace the failing septic fields.
Town staff will continue to monitor the Habitat site and adjacent properties to confirm that both the storm sewer and sanitary sewer systems are functioning properly, and to ensure that adjacent properties no longer experience the drainage problems referred to in the petitioners’ request-for-assistance.
ATTACHMENT