Stormwater maintenance is a crucial aspect of managing urban and suburban environments. Stormwater runoff refers to water from rain or snowmelt that flows over surfaces such as pavement, roofs, and lawns, and can carry pollutants into bodies of water. If not properly managed, stormwater can lead to flooding, erosion, water pollution, and other negative environmental impacts. These impacts can oftentimes go unnoticed and require significant repairs or emergency maintenance to get your stormwater system back to functioning properly.
At Ace Environmental, we provide stormwater maintenance services to help our clients keep their systems running effectively. Our team of experts can inspect, maintain and repair stormwater systems for a variety of industries and applications. We understand the importance of maintaining these systems to keep our waterways clean and healthy. Let’s dive into how runoff is captured, how it can affect your business, what it does to our ecosystem and how ACE Environmental offers a comprehensive stormwater maintenance program to help you comply with regulations, prevent pollution, and protect your business from the impacts of stormwater.
How Runoff is Captured?
Runoff can be captured through a variety of methods such as retention ponds, swales, and infiltration systems to capture and manage stormwater. For example, retention ponds are designed to capture and hold excess stormwater, allowing it to slowly infiltrate into the ground or be released at a controlled rate. Swales are shallow channels that collect and direct stormwater to a designated area, where it can be absorbed into the ground or allowed to evaporate. Infiltration systems, such as porous pavement and underground storage tanks, allow stormwater to seep into the ground where it can be naturally filtered and cleaned. These methods are effective at capturing runoff and, if properly maintained, will prevent it from causing damage to the environment and infrastructure.
How Does Stormwater Affect Your Business?
Stormwater can affect your business in several ways. From a financial standpoint, you may face fines and penalties for non-compliance with stormwater regulations. Municipalities and regulatory agencies require businesses to maintain their stormwater systems to prevent pollution and protect the environment. Failure to comply with these regulations can result in costly fines and legal action.
Stormwater can also impact your business operations. Excess stormwater can cause flooding, which can disrupt your operations, damage your property, and lead to lost productivity. This can result in additional costs such as repairs, cleanup, and lost revenue.
Lastly, stormwater can affect your reputation. As consumers become more environmentally conscious, they may choose to do business with companies that are committed to sustainability and environmental stewardship. Failure to maintain your stormwater system can signal to potential customers that you are not committed to protecting the environment, which can damage your reputation and impact your bottom line.
Take the proactive approach by investing in stormwater maintenance, to avoid fines, prevent operational disruptions, and enhance your reputation as a responsible and sustainable business.
How Can Rainwater Hurt Our Ecosystem?
Roads and sidewalks are generally dirty. As the rainwater runs across them, it picks up and carries a variety of pollutants like sediment, chemicals, oiland gasoline. These will all land in your stormwater system and eventually into our waterways and in some cases, causing irreversible harm to our aquatic life and water quality
Moreover, since runoff can help transport pollutants, it’ll oftentimes contribute to the spread of invasive species. Seeds, plant fragments and other invasives can be transported from other regions and carried into new areas where they become established and harm the native species in that area.
Additionally, debris, sediment, and trash that has traveled into the stormwater system can oftentimes become trapped in the drainage lines. These lines collect more and more debris until the runoff is unable to properly drain at all. Subsequently, it backs up and stagnates or rises back to the surface. Without a proper method for escaping, the runoff causes drainage lines to corrode or creates gaps which can result in even bigger problems. In some cases, they need to be re-lined or replaced, or require a concrete parging technique to repair cracks/gaps—all of which are expensive.
Even though your stormwater facility may seem to be effectively functioning, looks can sometimes be deceiving. Because these systems generally look fine on the outside, they’re commonly forgotten about. This creates a host of difficulties—not just for the environment, but also for you, as it could lead to costly repairs if left unaddressed.
That’s why it’s vital to ensure your facilities are performing as intended, so we can help stop harmful pollutants from entering our waterways and causing damage to our ecosystem. Thankfully, there are methods that we can use to keep your stormwater facilities operating efficiently.
How Can ACE Help Me Manage My Stormwater Facilities?
With a fleet of vacuum trucks, combo/jetter trucks, vacuum tankers, turbo vacs, and air movers, plus an Maryland Department of Environment (MDE) Approved Disposal Facility, we are your competitive and valued partner for all your stormwater needs throughout the DC, MD, VA, PA, NJ, WV, and DE area.
Here’s what our equipment is used for:
- AirMovers: Utilized to remove heavy sludge buildup or other solid materials.
- Vacuum Tankers: Go-to method for large scale liquid waste removal. This allows us to gather more volume on-site.
- Combo/Jetter Vacuum Trucks: A powerful hydro-jetting tip is placed inside the drainge line and blasts high-pressured water to dislodge debris, sediment, and other materials. Simultaneously, a vacuum hose is placed nearby to capture the dislodged material and water so it doesn’t travel further into drainage system. This combination allows for quicker cleanings and extraction of unwanted materials in your stormwater system.
Our experienced team completes hundreds of of stormwater projects each year and will make recommendations on equipment and maintenance frequencies to minimize the potential for costly repairs in the future.
Next Steps To Better Manage Your Stormwater Facilities
Since 2004, we have partnered with many engineers, consultants, and inspectors to follow local, state, and federal laws to protect and maintain your stormwater facilities and keep them operating properly.Here are a few things to look for in case you have stormwater facilities on your property:
- When was the last time these facilities were inspected?
- When was the last time they were cleaned or maintained?
- Is there an inspection report available? Ask your county stormwater department for this information.
- While on the surface, look in the drain inlets to see how much debris/trash has collected. Is there a substantial buildup?
- Next rainfall, look at these inlets to see how the runoff is draining. Is there a good flow rate or does it appear to be backing up?
- Review the drainage areas located in lower grass areas. Is there substantial vegetation building up? Is there erosion along the banks? Are there any cleanouts sticking out of the surface uncovered or broken? Is the culvert feeding this drainage area functioning properly? Are there any cracks, erosion or undermining around the perimeter of the culvert? Are there any blockages?
- Is there regular leaf buildup on your property during change of seasons?
- Are nearby properties contributing to the debris that ends up on your property? What’s the frequency? How much?
- How often does your property get pre-treated with salt?
Using this checklist helps evaluate the level and frequency of maintenance your facility needs.
You Can Partner With Us!
ACE Environmental specializes in handling all your stormwater needs. Let us help you ensure your facility functions properly and efficiently. If you’re still on the fence, take a look at the projects we’ve already tackled. You can be sure that you’ll be in great hands on your next job – From beginning to end! Contact Us Today!
