Slip-Lining Culvert Pipes

When a culvert begins to corrode, crack, or separate at the joints, engineers and highway departments often face a choice between excavating the old pipe and installing a new one or rehabilitating the existing structure in place. Slip-lining is the most widely used trenchless rehabilitation techniqu…continue

Culvert Fundamentals: A Practical Overview for Municipal Stormwater Systems

Culverts are enclosed conduits that carry surface water beneath roads, railways, trails, and embankments, allowing drainage and traffic to coexist safely. They form one of the most common, and often most overlooked, structures in municipal stormwater networks. When sized, installed, and maintained c…continue

Understanding MS4 Expectations for a Complete Stormwater Infrastructure Record

Municipal Separate Storm Sewer System (MS4) permits rest on a simple idea: you cannot manage what you have not first documented. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) defines an MS4 as any publicly owned system of drains, pipes, ditches, or similar conveyances that carries runoff to waters of th…continue

Protecting and Utilizing Natural Waterways in Stormwater Management Planning

Natural streams, creeks, and drainage swales evolved to carry rainfall runoff long before culverts and pipes existed, and they remain one of the most efficient, resilient, and cost-effective elements in any municipal stormwater network. When a community plans for development or retrofit, treating th…continue

Protecting Special Value and Sensitive Features During Site Development

Stormwater management succeeds when the landscape itself is considered the first line of defense. Certain parts of that landscape offer outsized benefits or face outsized risks, and thoughtful planning around them is essential. Special Value Features are areas that deliver exceptional stormwater ben…continue

Catch Basins: The First Line of Defense in Municipal Stormwater Management

Every time rain falls on streets and parking lots, it sweeps grit, trash, and pollutants toward the nearest low point. Catch basins sit at those low points, quietly collecting runoff and helping cities keep roadways safe, pipes clear, and receiving waters cleaner. This article explains how catch bas…continue

Precast Underground Vaults: How a Deep Sump Turns Runoff into Cleaner Outfall

What Exactly Is a Precast Underground Vault? A precast vault is a large, reinforced-concrete box or cylinder installed below grade to detain, treat, or both detain and treat stormwater when surface land is scarce. The modules are factory-made for quality control, then craned into an excavated pit an…continue

Understanding Stormwater Outfalls: Types and Their Environmental Impact

What is a stormwater outfall? A stormwater outfall is the point where a storm-drain system, whether pipes, ditches, or channels, discharges runoff to a receiving water such as a stream, wetland, lake, or the ocean. Regulatory guidance clarifies that simple cross-road culverts, which only pass flow b…continue

Strength in Structure: The Use of Geocells in Modern Drainage Systems

Geocells, also known as cellular confinement systems, have become a trusted solution in the design and maintenance of modern drainage infrastructure. These innovative materials provide structural stability to soils and aggregates, making them particularly useful in applications where erosion control…continue

Creating a 5-Year Stormwater Capital Improvement Plan (CIP) That Survives Elections

Stormwater infrastructure rarely captures the political spotlight, yet it is essential for public safety, economic stability, and regulatory compliance. Because major upgrades often outlast an elected official’s term, a 5-year CIP must be built to withstand changing administrations and shiftin…continue

From Paper Plans to GIS: Digitizing Historic Drainage Records

Every municipality owns drawers, or entire vaults, of ageing drainage “plan sets”: linen originals from the 1930s, blueprint mylars from the 1960s, contractor mark-ups from a 1998 sewer separation project, and everything in-between. Transforming those static sheets into a living GIS data…continue

Stormwater Operations Training for DPW Staff: Essential Skills for Modern Compliance and Performance

As regulatory requirements and infrastructure demands continue to evolve, stormwater operations training for Department of Public Works (DPW) and Highway Department staff has never been more critical. Effective training ensures that personnel are prepared to safely and efficiently manage stormwater …continue