Thanks to Traci Tapani for the following update she sent about sump pump runoff, rain gardens, and preserving our wetlands:
“I just wanted to pass along an update on the drainage issue with sump pump hoses. I attended a seminar put on by the Blue Thumb organization (http://www.bluethumb.org) on rain gardens.
I have contacted the Washington Conservation District (www.mnwcd.org) which is the government unit for our area that deals with water quality. They were surprised to hear that a development was recently built that didn’t properly address drainage issues. All the water being drained into storm sewers and the ponds around Victor Gardens is an environmental concern. During the seminar I attended in the City of Roseville, they provided satellite photos of each persons property and discussed what residents could do to deal with runoff. Maybe this is something that should be considered for our development.
The District Engineer from Washington County will be coming to my home next week to evaluate the situation. This is a service that they offer free of charge. They have also put me in contact with someone at the Rice Creek Watershed District (www.ricecreek.org). There is apparently some reimbursement available for the installation of rain gardens.
Just thought I’d pass along this information.
-Traci Tapani.
For more background information of the ongoing problems of sump pump runoff, please see the June 11,2007 post, “Sump Pumps Causing Problems on Streets and Sidewalks”.
