A rainwater master plan launched by Georgetown County will show the impacts on Waccamaw neck drainage
A stormwater master plan launched by Georgetown County, South Carolina, will show impacts on drainage if the Waccamaw Neck is built under the current zoning.
According to the municipality, the Waccamaw Neck study is the first phase of the master plan. This study will identify hydrographic and drainage basins on about 37,000 acres and inventory more than 14,000 drainage resources, according to the proposal outlined by Thomas & Hutton, the engineering company contracted to create the plan.
This plan is part of a $ 702,000 study approved by the County Council, which will also recommend improvements to infrastructure and policies to mitigate impacts, reported the Coastal Observer.
In October, a master plan for the entire county was created. The plan currently has 41 rainwater projects planned, which will continue to move forward, the city’s website said.
No new projects will be added until the master plan is completed, which is estimated to take about three to five years. The county may begin to set aside funds for those that emerge from the master plan, according to Ray Funnye, director of public services for the county.
“This will be very important for us in the future, as we expand our program,” said administrator Angela Christian.
The plan also involves compiling existing data from electronic and paper records that go back 30 years. Online meetings are likely to give the public an opportunity to identify problem areas.
“Separate models will be developed for each emissary or independent hydrographic basin”, according to the company’s proposal. “The models will be developed with a focus on the main rainwater transport systems and channels in each basin, as well as on the defined problem areas.”
Thomas & Hutton want to use Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) approved software to model the drainage system to determine how it will work during storms and deal with tidal influences.
The study also accounts for rising sea levels.
Water quality is also a component of the study, as the master plan will include data on the 10,250-acre Murrells cove estuary. A river basin plan was adopted for this estuary in 2014.
Once the data is compiled, it will be incorporated into the municipality’s geographic information system.
“The aim will be to involve residents, giving users a clear understanding of the drainage system and a place to send photos and videos of possible issues and problems,” said the proposal.