Story posted Wednesday, June 17, 2009
Village Working To Fix Backyard Flooding
By RICHARD MAYER Assistant Managing Editor
In addition to constructing Levee 37, Mt. Prospect village staff will conduct its 2009 Backyard Drainage Program to relieve flooding for certain residents.
According to Project Engineer Jeff Wulbecker, several unidentified properties in Mt. Prospect experience recurring background flooding after any significant rain event.
He said often water will pond in their yards and remain there for a considerable length of time.
Last month, the village board authorized staff to proceed with the Backyard Drainage Program in an effort to assist residents in reducing the backyard flooding they experience.
Village staff has received over 100 residential requests for assistance through the Backyard Drainage Program. Staff identified 11 properties experiencing the worst flooding, based upon depth and duration of standing water, area of inundation, number of properties affected, and structures impacted.
Staff then surveyed the existing conditions, and prepared plans to better drain each of those properties.
Each design includes an inlet in the backyard draining through a pipe connecting to the existing sewer system in the public right-of-way.
To protect the system from being overwhelmed, each design includes a restrictor that will control and slow the discharge into the sewers.
Those restrictors, while serving to protect the village sewer system, may cause water to sit in backyards during heavy rain events for a short duration, according to Wulbecker.
To accommodate standing water, rain gardens will be installed around the inlets.
Those rain gardens will provide a place for any standing water to accumulate, and provide a mechanism for the water to filtrate into the ground quickly.
Construction costs will be paid for with village funds in the amount of $252,600. Following construction, property owners will be responsible for maintenance of the storm sewer and rain garden on private property.
Wulbecker said he anticipates construction to begin in the next 30-60 days and be completed by the end of this summer. Then, restoration should begin this fall.
However, it will be the village's responsibility to maintain the new storm sewer in the public right-of-way.
"This is long overdue," said Trustee John Korn.
Trustee Arlene Juracek suggested for village staff to come up with a variety of rain garden designs to personalize for each homeowner.
To continue this program in future years, Village Manager Michael Janonis said the village would need to find other sources or supplement funding from other village projects.
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