Raleigh reports $920 million in stormwater capital needs, proposes debt-and-grant approach to speed delivery

Wayne Miles, the city’s stormwater manager in engineering services, and Barbara Barranta, division manager for planning and asset management, briefed the Raleigh City Council in a work session update on the city’s stormwater capital improvements program.

The staff presentation said Raleigh has $920,000,000 in known stormwater capital improvement needs across five categories — major capital projects, water quality, asset management, floodplain management and other programs — and that using the current pay-as-you-go approach would take roughly 66 years to deliver those projects. “Using our current pay as you go strategy, it would take us 66 years to deliver these known capital needs,” Barranta said. Staff said a proposed debt-and-grant financing strategy would move delivery to about 25 years.

Why this matters: City staff said the program responds to an increase in development and changing rainfall patterns, aging infrastructure and recurring flooding. The capital program is intended to reduce public-safety risk, improve water quality and renew assets such as conveyance pipes, detention facilities and dams.

Major capital projects and examples

Staff described major projects developed through watershed planning, field data (survey/stream walks) and hydraulic/water-quality modeling, together with community engagement. One example is the Camp Pond Dam project in West Raleigh, a roughly $11,000,000 project to repair a corroded spillway…