An inherent part of keeping your Briarcliff Manor, NY, property safe and sustainable is proper stormwater management. Especially with hurricane season approaching, now is the ideal time to consult a stormwater management company to ensure that your home will be safe from flooding when extreme weather rears its head.
Why Does Flooding Occur?
Flooding occurs when rainwater overwhelms the stormwater drainage system and causes water to accumulate on the property. Often, this can be due to blockages from the buildup of soil and debris in the system. In other cases, the sheer volume of water can exceed the system’s capacity. This can be common on properties with a lot of hardscaping and poor drainage systems. The impervious surfaces of patios, driveway, and walkways could cause the water to run off with little to no water infiltrating the soil.
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That said, even properties with a lot of plant life can be a stormwater hazard. Lawns, in particular, are highly susceptible to increased surface water runoff, especially in areas with a steep gradient. Runoff over soil also increases soil erosion, causing the accumulation of silt and debris in the drainage system, which leads to blockages.
In addition to flooding, increased surface water runoff can be detrimental to the environment. The rainwater can introduce pollutants into lakes and rivers, impacting the fish and wildlife. Moreover, it can also have a direct impact on the quality and quantity of groundwater beneath your property. Without proper drainage, rainwater infiltrating the soil and recharging the groundwater isn’t sufficient to sustain the water table.
How Does Proper Stormwater Management Prevent Flooding?
The primary aim of stormwater management is to reduce surface water runoff. However, the drainage characteristics of each property tend to be highly different, which means that there is no one-size-fits-all solution. This makes consulting a stormwater management company a necessity.
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One of the foremost steps of stormwater management is reviewing the gradient of your yard and lawn and regrading the surface if necessary. A steep gradient causes water to flow quickly downhill, reducing its ability to assimilate into the soil while increasing its erosive power. Regrading is also important to control the flow of water across your property. In many cases, it is used to safely route rainwater to a drainage solution. Moreover, you can also increase the groundcover with trees and shrubs, which help to grip the soil and reduce the speed of the water as it flows downhill.
Complementing these measures are a variety of drainage solutions that can help disperse the accumulated water. French drains are a common solution, because they can route all the water to an underground perforated pipe that slowly allows the water to infiltrate the soil. Drywells and catch basins work on a similar principle and are especially common on older properties. Drain pipes can also be installed in flower beds to retain the aesthetics of your property while cleverly camouflaging the drainage system. Each system offers different capacities and needs to be tailored to the drainage characteristics of your property.
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