Gills Creek Supplemental Environmental Projects
Columbia, SC
Thomas & Hutton assisted with the implementation of several stormwater best management practices (BMPs) at locations throughout the Gills Creek Watershed. This impaired urban watershed was identified by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Department of Justice (DOJ) as a location for Supplemental Environmental Projects (SEPs) relating to the City of Columbia/EPA Consent Decree associated with the City’s wastewater collection and treatment system.
The City of Columbia, working with the Gills Creek Watershed Association and other stakeholders, had preliminarily identified sites and potential BMPs for implementation to partially meet the requirements of the consent decree. Thomas & Hutton verified the applicability of the proposed BMP technology and project site and adjusted each as needed. Thomas & Hutton provided surveying, analysis and design calculations, construction plans preparation, permitting, and assistance during construction. The City of Columbia completed the projects using their own forces.
Read More
The projects included:
- Site 1 – Stormwater Manufactured Treatment Devise (MTD) at the intersection of Gills Creek Parkway and Pelham Drive, treating a 1.7-acre contributing area consisting of road and multi-family (apartment) drainage
- Site 2 – A 0.4-acre off-line constructed wetland within the Hampton Leas neighborhood that will treat run-off from a 27.8-acre single-family neighborhood watershed. The constructed wetland design includes a diversion structure, forebay, cascading pools separated by rock weirs and wetland plantings.
- Site 3 – Stormwater MTD at the end of Tall Pines Circle treating a 1.1-acre multi-family contributing drainage area
- Sites 4B/4C – Erosion control measures for two major culvert outfalls along Gills Creek Parkway
- Site 5 – A 300-foot long vegetated treatment swale along Edmond Drive that treats a 36.7-acre single-family neighborhood watershed
- Site 6 – Stormwater MTD at the end of Hampton Trace Lane that will provide treatment for a 0.3-acre paved area
The projects were designed and constructed in a compressed 9-month schedule.
