Charleston City Council approves agreement to address flooding on the East Side

The Eastern side of the Peninsula is set to get some much-needed relief from persistent flooding problems after Charleston City Council approved a Stormwater Pipe License Agreement with the South Carolina State Ports Authority on Aug. 18. The agreement gives the City access to repair an aging stormwater pipe that runs beneath the Columbus Terminal and serves as a key drainage line for the surrounding neighborhood.

Years of corrosion have left the pipe prone to blockages, and when it can’t drain properly, water has nowhere to go but into the streets. The backup has been a driving factor behind repeated road flooding and pavement damage along East Bay Street and other parts of the Eastside, at times leaving standing water deep enough to disable vehicles.

The new agreement divides responsibilities between the two parties: the City will take the lead on cleaning out and structurally repairing the pipe, and the Ports Authority will restore the terminal surface once that work wraps up. City officials expect to treat the project as an emergency repair, with crews beginning work as early as September. Funding is already in place through the City’s emergency stormwater budget.

Instead of digging up the terminal to replace the pipe outright, a costly and disruptive option in a working port environment, crews will install a new liner inside the existing pipe to restore its structural integrity from within. The technique is well suited for sites with heavy pavement and limited room for excavation, and that a properly executed liner can add another 50 to 100 years of service life to the pipe.

“This project is a great example of how entities can work together to build projects that improve the quality of life of our residents,” said Matt Fountain, Director of Stormwater Management for the City of Charleston. “Maintaining and improving existing infrastructure is also the fastest and most cost-effective work we can do to reduce flooding in the City.”