Peace of mind in the City of Wilmington

City of Wilmington, North Carolina| Wilmington, North Carolina| Flood protection

The problem

Wilmington, North Carolina has an elevation of just 20 feet above sea level and due to sea level rise needs to address current and forecasted flooding issues, which is a concern for the entire city area as well as much of east coast, USA.

Poor drainage in the City of Wilmington causes standing water which when rainfall event occurs, exasperates flooding issues. It´s a growing and potentially very serious problem. The City of Wilmington has previously tried different backflow prevention methods but were not satisfied with the results. The City felt that the inhabitants and their assets weren´t given the level of protection from flooding they needed in order to give peace of mind during storms and rainfall events.

Solution

WaStop^® Inline Check valve

After considering the options an NPS 18” (DN440) WaStop inline check valve was chosen to be installed at the end of an outfall pipe in a salt marsh area. WaStop was chosen due to the low headloss and low opening pressure. Low headloss allows more water through the outfall quickly, mitigating upstream flooding. With a low opening pressure, even under water, the WaStop inline check valve functions even during tidal events.

After two months WaStop has proven itself by protecting residents and their homes during hurricane Isaias and other heavy rainfall events.

The City of Wilmington´s Stormwater Manager says “everything looks to be fine”, which is a great result.

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