Proper water flow is returning to the Peachtree drainage basin in Wagener Terrace

Today, the City of Charleston is excited to announce the successful completion of the Peachtree outfall drainage system cleaning project. This is encouraging news for residents in the Wagener Terrace Neighborhood in the vicinity of Peachtree Street who have been experiencing stormwater back-up and overflow issues on their streets and properties. With the clearing of the outfall system, these issues are now expected to diminish with the restoration of the drainage system flow in this portion of the neighborhood.

“The Stormwater Management Department has been closely monitoring flooding issues in Wagener Terrace,” said Robin Kidd, Outreach Coordinator for the Department of Stormwater Management. “Cleaning out the accumulated sediment and debris from the outfall channel will help this portion of the neighborhood’s stormwater drain faster, reducing the impacts of flooding events for residents.”

The Peachtree drainage system services a portion of the Wagener Terrace Neighborhood by collecting water from its properties and roads and then discharging it into a single channel through the marsh, called an outfall. The clearing of this outfall will be extremely beneficial during storms to reduce flooding in the area.

In order to clean outfall channels that have been blocked by debris and accumulating sediment, the City uses a process called hydro excavation. Hydro excavation uses water pressure and suction to clean the channel while minimizing impacts to the marsh by loosening, then vacuuming up the obstructions. Once these blockages are removed from the channel, rainwater can flow more easily to the river from the drainage system, reducing flood impacts during rainstorms that occur on low and moderate tides. This work also speeds up the time to drain out flooding that accumulates when rainstorms occur during high tides.

The City encourages neighbors to check storm drains in front of their homes on a regular basis to ensure they are free of debris. This will assist in allowing stormwater to flow to the outfall.