Stormwater Infrastructure Condition Assessment

Summary

This work involves assessing the condition of approximately 50 miles of Town-maintained stormwater infrastructure.  This is being pursued by both Town staff and contractors/consultants using protocol based on industry (AASHTO, PACP, NCDOT) standards. The different types of infrastructure include ditches and swales, culverts and pipes, and associated inlets, outlets/outfalls, and junction boxes. This does not include infrastructure owned by the State or private or other owners. It also does not include Stormwater Control Measures which are already being assessed and maintained as part of the Town’s regulatory responsibilities.

An assessment is needed because, unlike other Town assets and infrastructure (roads/transportation and facilities) it hasn’t been done and the condition of the system and its many assets is not known. Also, it is critical for planning for and prioritizing both larger (“capital”) and smaller stormwater infrastructure projects. This work can be coordinated work with other Town initiatives such as road and sidewalk maintenance and improvements.

When will it occur?

Inspection work was initiated in mid-2022. Initial inspections/assessments of road culverts (65) will be completed by the end of FY24, with more detailed assessments of about 10 culverts.  Assessments of the approximately 30 miles of open channels was initiated in 2023 and planned for completion by the spring of 2024.  Underground camera inspections of the 20+ miles of pipes were initiated in 2022 and will take longer with older pipes being inspected first.

What will the specific results of the condition assessment be?
All stormwater assets (culverts, pipes, ditches, inlets, outlets) will be assigned a qualitative (excellent, good, adequate, critical, failed) score. Considerable associated information will be obtained to guide the planning for and prioritization of future work. In general, it will be a foundational component of both operational and capital aspects of the Town’s Stormwater Program.

Who is performing the assessment?
Stormwater staff are coordinating the assessment work with Sungate Design Group (Town Engineer) and VisionNC, a contractor with CCTV equipment and expertise.

What has been done so far?

You can visit here to see maps of the areas of town that have been assessed to date.

How will I know if you will be in my area/neighborhood/yard?

You can sign up for Town Alerts here to learn about this and any other town news. You can also follow the following Official Town Social Media Accounts for updates.

https://www.facebook.com/CarrboroTownGov

https://twitter.com/CarrboroGov

https://www.instagram.com/townofcarrboro/

https://www.instagram.com/townofcarrborostormwater/

If you have any questions or would like additional information please contact stormwater@carrboronc.gov or 919-9913-2999.