Drainage issues

[EmilyMC]

Hey we’re in a bit of a pickle…

So we have this commercial property with a drain at our dock area which is on a downward hill, a mahole in our parking lot, and two sewer areas on our side of the street.

What happens is the water overflows as we’re just in the middle of the block and we’re collecting ALL the water. It floods and pools so badly, it almost gets as high as the dock and one day - it will.

We reached out to the city, and they said there’s nothing they can do and that the “storm drains are working properly”.

A few days ago - we had some heavy rain fall and it pooled so bad there was a car there that started floating. Our dumpster which is also in the dock area was floated and tumbled to it’s side.

What’s happening is there’s the water falling off the building + the direct rainfall itself + ALL the water from the street flooding and coming downhill to us.

What are our options? Please help.

 

[James Henry]

Snake the line that the trench drain is attached to. It is probably tied onto the storm drain.

 

[Sponsor]

 

[Fitter30]

Have you talked with your aldermen? From Greenboro city hall
To report water pollution and drainage concerns; Adopt-a-Stream; volunteer to apply drain markers
336-373-CITY (2489)

 

[Reach4]

I think you are saying that the street is higher, and when water is standing in the street, it backups into your dock area.

You might try to compare the altitude of of your dock drain with water level in the manhole and sewer drain. If those levels are higher than the dock area drain, it seems to me that the storm sewer is not able to get rid of the water. That is something you will not be able to deal with directly. That is what I suspect is happening, and the city needs a bigger retention pond in your area.

If those levels are lower, then I would expect the problem is a partial blockage between those places and your dock drain.

To compare levels, I might use a laser level to establish reference heights of the sewer area drain, the curb at the inlet, and the rim of the manhole. Unless your laser level is really bright, you will need to establish your readings while it is dark. Even better, have a surveyor measure the altitudes. Then under flooding conditions, use a yardstick etc as dipsticks to probe down the manhole or street drain.

You could put in some kind of backwater valve to keep the storm drains from supplying the dock area. Then use a pump to move the water from the dock area elsewhere, such as the street. If that is not acceptable to the city, put in the backwater valve, but pump into a big retention tank or pond. Then release the water slowly when the storm sewers catch up.

I am not a pro.