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Drainage problems in Georgetown can be solved
Mar 14, 2012 Letters
DEAR EDITOR,
After the successful completion of over 40 drainage studies with accompanying cost effective design solutions of very complicated projects, considering various aspects of flood protection problems in the States of New Jersey and Texas in the USA, and again after very careful considerations of the existing drainage net-works which could be modified/improved, as well as other related underutilized and un-utilized features within the Georgetown drainage
area, the frequent drainage problems within the city limits could be solved once and for all times, by a unique approach, which will also reduce the volume of fixed storage water which is a public health hazard, but, it will be expensive. From a universal perspective the solution to drainage problems are never cheap.
Normally drainage problems are attributed to any inter-related combination of features such as sediment transport and deposition; structural; flood plain encroachment after delineation relative to a legal return period; undersized levees; transportation; utilities; type of soil along with its cover and corresponding erosive capacities; wetlands; environmental; uncontrolled urbanization; drainage basin maintenance; pump station capacities; discharge tail water head; storm sewer, bridge openings and open channel capacities; curve numbers; ground water table; time to peak or time of concentration; lag time; precipitation infiltration rates; intensity, frequency and duration of precipitation; level of designer technical understanding; non- existing drainage ordinances; the political will of the authorities to pumulgate appropriate regulations (ordinances) and the like.
The solution to this persistent man-made anomaly which occurs frequently during each year with not only economic, transportation and social consequences, but, also public health, must be sought through a comprehensive drainage study within Georgetown drainage area in association with contiguous drainage basins, utilizing either HEC-1 or TR-20 in combination with HEC-2, or HEC-RES or SWMM to model at least 3 alternatives, then select the most cost effective solution of the three, that could be implemented in a phased manner if required, as a direct function of project funding availability. By the way, POND2 or HEC-6 or SEDIMONT could be utilized for special circumstances within the drainage area.
Please be advised the landscaping, utilities (communication, water, on-site waste and sanitary sewer), socio-cultural, wet-lands delineation, stream encroachment, environmental and dam breach components in all the comprehensive drainage studies I have successfully completed, though separate, are always sub-sets and integral features of the comprehensive package.
I submit the modular solutions derived by utilizing the above mentioned, professionally proven and widely accepted public domain programs will provide cost effective solutions to the diverse drainage problems in Georgetown, if implemented according to recommended designs along with accompanying specifications.
Charles L. Griffith, PE
(Hydrologist and Hydraulic Engineer)
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