Atherton consultants recommend pumped dewatering system and interim infiltration fixes for El Camino Real flooding

Consultants hired by the Town of Atherton on Wednesday recommended a pump-based dewatering system to clear localized flooding along El Camino Real and proposed short-term infiltration trenches at priority intersections while the town pursues longer-term projects.

Douglas Kim, project manager for the El Camino Real Complete Streets project, introduced the presentation and said the study aimed to identify “longer term solutions rather than shorter term solutions that might go away with the future improvements along El Camino Real.” Eric DeLand, a consultant with Friar and Loretta, presented the technical work and options.

Why it matters: repeated ponding along El Camino Real has created safety and accessibility problems for pedestrians, bicyclists and drivers in parts of the corridor. Council members and residents said they want measures that produce a noticeable improvement before the next rainy season.

What the team found: the consultants mapped existing drainage and found that the principal large outlet in the study area is the Atherton Channel, which crosses El Camino Real near Carton Field and discharges to the Bayfront Canal. South of that channel, a county-owned drain captures some flows; north of it the corridor lacks a continuous downstream outlet. The study noted a catch basin and an apparent pipe at Selby that “is walled off and not connected to anything,” and the team scheduled a closed-circuit…