Infiltration Swale System
The Frog-Song Community in Cotati, California had an open storm water channel running along the front of some of the homes. The residents considered this channel was a maintenance challenge and a waste of useable space. The residents are known as a “green oriented community” which includes desires of the residents for recycling, gardening and maintaining an attractive landscape throughout their community. The challenge was to remove the open channel while maintaining the drainage volume, creating useable recreation space and doing it in a manner to help the environment.
Rick Taylor from Elder Creek Landscapes, considered several alternatives from installing storm drain pipe to the final system chosen, the Atlantis Storm Water Management System using Atlantis tank modules. The Atlantis System was designed to convey the volume of water from the existing pipeline and former open channel. The Atlantis System handles on-site flows from irrigation and storm water runoff, as well as conveying flows delivered from upstream properties.
Atlantis single-high 450mm (18”) H-20 rated units were installed, one unit wide, along the alignment of the existing creek bed, wrapped in a nonwoven filter fabric, Mirafi 180N, and then backfilled with clean sand and a minimum of 2 feet (24”) of cover. Elder Creek Landscapes carried out the installation including the installation of BBQ’s and benches that were installed over the Atlantis pervious box culvert.
One challenge facing this project was the transitions to join an existing 18” pipe. This transition was accomplished by installing single-high Atlantis tank module, two units wide, abutting a standard plastic junction box and riser. The junction box provided access, a debris holding area, and a screened cleanout to prevent debris from entering the Atlantis System.
Once complete, the dual use system provides both infiltration and conveyance, preserving ground water recharge and providing a landscaped play and picnic area that will improve property values as well as a visually pleasing addition to the community.
