One of the less glamorous but absolutely critical parts of building a facility like ours is dealing with stormwater runoff. Local building codes require that new construction capture and control a certain volume of rainwater on site rather than simply letting it rush into the city’s storm sewers. The idea is to prevent downstream flooding and to filter out sediment and pollutants before the water leaves the property. To meet those standards, our plans include a carefully engineered detention basin system that looks simple at first glance but is actually quite sophisticated.
Instead of just digging a large hole, the basin was designed with multiple levels. Water first fills the upper shelf, where smaller, everyday rain events are captured and treated. Beneath that lies the lower pool, which you can clearly see in the cutaway photo — notice the drop in elevation that creates a second stage. This tiered design not only increases storage capacity but also improves water quality, as sediment can settle out at each stage before the water slowly releases downstream.
At the heart of the system is a concrete control box fitted with filters, valves, and flow regulators. This box acts as the brain of the pond, ensuring that water moves through in an orderly way, even during heavy storms. It meters the release so that city storm drains aren’t overwhelmed all at once, and it also screens debris and other pollutants. All of this happens quietly in the background, but it’s an essential piece of compliance with modern stormwater management codes.
From ground level, the deepest section of the basin drops a full several feet below grade — in our case, over six feet from the surrounding surface. That depth, combined with the stepped layout, gives the pond a surprising capacity at nearly 808,000 gallons. Just 1 inch of rainfall across this 4.5 acre property adds up to ~81,000 gallons of water. It’s more than just a regulatory requirement; it’s a carefully designed safeguard that protects our site, our neighbors, and the city’s infrastructure every time it rains.