Stormwater Operations & Maintenance

Operations & Maintenance

Stormwater Operations and Maintenance consists of the day-to-day operation of AIMS (Analysis, Inspection, Maintenance, Support), Back and Side Ditch, Major Outfall and Lake Maintenance, Storm Sewer Cleaning, Storm Sewer Construction, and Roadside Ditch crews working throughout the city. Descriptions of each work function are described below.

Back & Side Ditch Crews

There are seven Back and Side Ditch Crews assigned to cover routine ditch maintenance and preventive maintenance activities in assigned areas throughout the city. Back and side lot ditches are cleaned and cut once a year. These crews perform mostly "hand" type work with weed eaters, shovels, and rakes. Employees in this work group are exposed to extremely variant environmental and natural conditions such as extreme heat / cold and bee stings. Their work is an integral part of our Stormwater Management Program.

Major Outfall and Lake Maintenance

This aspect of the Stormwater Management Program was added in FY95. The lakes and ponds in the City of Newport News serve the purpose of stormwater retention and stormwater quality. Our VPDES Permit requires us to perform drainage system maintenance and lake maintenance activities. There are approximately 50 named lakes in the city and 40 of them are privately owned. Our current efforts are aimed at cleaning lake outfalls that are filled with sediment. Permits from the Army Corps of Engineers (Corps) and the Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) are required for many of our lake cleaning efforts. We are in the process of developing a Lake Enhancement Program in cooperation with the Department of Engineering.

Storm Sewer Cleaning

Also implemented in FY95, this program has been established to clean catch basins, drainage pipes, and box culverts throughout the city. There are four combination catch basin cleaning trucks assigned to perform preventive maintenance throughout the city. This program is augmented by a street sweeping program. Both are designed to keep silt and debris from our waterways and lakes.

Storm Sewer Construction

The Storm Sewer Crew Construction group was also implemented in FY96. This crew has the responsibility of infrastructure repair and storm drain installation. Many of the more complex storm sewer installation and repair projects are planned and budgeted one year in advance. Projects are prioritized based on either previous flooding problems or repeated infrastructure failure. Longer term capital projects are budgeted in the CIP.

Roadside Ditches

The Roadside Ditch group is assigned the responsibility of grading/regrading of roadside ditches city wide. One Tandem Ditching Machine is currently used for this purpose. Cleaning roadside ditches helps to remove nutrients which are trapped in the dirt removed during cleaning.

Public Education Program

Educational programs convey numerous stormwater related topics from ditch maintenance to lake management. The Department of Engineering also participates in regional education activities through the Hampton Roads Planning District Commission (HRPDC).

For additional information visit:  

HRGreen:  http://askhrgreen.org/

Department of Engineering:  https://www.nnva.gov/engineering