Water quality device installed

This week the crew completed installation of the CrystalStream Water Quality Vault, bringing us to near completion of the stormwater management facility!

Stormwater management is a complex and costly necessity in modern construction. Our new parking lot will have surface drains that route stormwater runoff from impervious surfaces to an underground pipe, which will then deliver the water to the CrystalStream water quality (WQ) device.

When water reaches the device, it will undergo a series of treatment phases before being discharged. First, the water will pass through an aluminum cage that collects any trash and debris larger than 1/4-inch. Then it will move through two baffles (panels with small holes) whose purpose is to slow the water down enough for sediment and pollutants to settle to the bottom of the device. After passing through the baffles, the water will reach a spill protector, which skims any floating pollutants from the top of the water. Finally, as the water builds up in the WQ device it will be forced through a coconut fiber filter that removes remaining smaller particles. The water will then run through an outlet pipe and be discharged into the detention pond.

Stormwater management systems require regular maintenance, inspection, and cleaning, and we were required by the City of Marietta to sign a declaration of compliance for these services as a condition of construction. Regular maintenance will entail inspecting the system in accordance with a prescribed checklist and making any necessary repairs or adjustments, as well as vacuuming out the collected pollutants, sediment, trash, and debris. Cleaning out a WQ device is much easier than cleaning out a pond, and capturing and holding these undesirable materials in this way benefits everyone in the area. The system also manages the flow of surface runoff, helping to prevent flooding, pooling, and other drainage-related problems.

We’ve learned more than we ever expected to know about stormwater runoff. We’re excited to be done with this aspect and to shift the focus toward shelter construction!

To learn more about the project and our plans for the future, please see our detailed overview.