Kirstin Davis, Communications Manager, 509.625.7773
Friday, November 22, 2024 at 3:22 p.m.
The City’s Cochran Basin Stormwater System received its first weather test before the system was completely online. Since November 19, with steady precipitation, the National Weather Service indicates Spokane has received approximately 1 inch of rain, which is much above normal for us.
As crews were continuing work to install and program the pump system at the control center or brain at the top of TJ Meenach Dr., there was a breach in an overflow catchment at Downriver Park, causing a built-up earthen wall to give way. Fortunately, the engineered system did what it was supposed to with this kind of incident and it is diverting stormwater into the large swales that run along the river to be held, to be treated by the bioengineered soils.
Crews began programming and testing the system November 1, just before the breach happened. Had the system been fully installed and operational, it would have been able to divert the water to other stormwater system paths such as the new Whitewater Disc Golf Course swales. However, that part of the system was not online and operating when the rain began to fall.
Crews are monitoring the Downriver Park site to prevent sediment from reaching the Spokane River. Once the rain subsides, the pump system will continue to be installed and programmed as designed. There will need to be additional work to repair to the earthen wall in the upcoming season. In the meantime, the community should avoid the restricted area.
While this is a setback for the Cochran Basin stormwater project, it is a testament to how the system will protect the Spokane River during future weather events.
It’s important to remember that the City’s Combined Sewer Overflow system is doing a great job of managing the stormwater being collected. Over 20 storage tanks are strategically placed throughout the City to collect and hold 16 million gallons of dirty water when significant rain events happen. There have not been any overflow events at the more than 20 tanks as of noon, on Friday, Nov. 22. Since being fully operational in 2022, this system has prevented more than 99% of stormwater entering our combined wastewater and storm sewers from entering the Spokane River.
To learn more about the importance of stormwater management, go to SpokaneStormwater.org.
