Engineers present drainage plan for New Rochelle High School pool; district estimates about 18 months to rebuild
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Summary
A drainage study identified limited outfall capacity and groundwater influence; the district plans design development, subsurface utility work and hydrogeology testing before bidding construction. Superintendent and consultants said full reconstruction could take about a year and a half after contracts are awarded.
District facilities staff and external consultants presented schematic drainage solutions for flooding at the New Rochelle High School pool and surrounding campus, describing constrained outfalls, flat, sedimented pipes, and groundwater influence that together create frequent surcharge and flooding during storms.
"The entire lake when there's a rainstorm, and the level rises, that 1 pipe is the only outlet for the entire lake," civil engineer Chris Laporta said, describing a 12-inch outlet that becomes submerged when lake levels rise and causes drainage to back up into campus piping. Laporta, who identified himself as a civil engineer, said the firm prepared a campus-wide inventory of piping, capacity maps that show several pipes at capacity during large storms, and conceptual solutions including storage chambers, pumping systems and check valves to prevent backflow.
Facilities Director Keith Watkins told the board the drainage study provides a "very detailed understanding of our systems," saying the study will inform future capital projects on campus so work near at-capacity pipes can be coordinated with pipe replacement.
Consultants described two primary concepts for the pool area: a curtain drain around the pool building that directs water to storage and pumping chambers, and additional storage near the bleachers to hold stormwater until downstream systems clear. The district is preparing requests for proposals for subsurface utility location work and hydrogeology testing; Laporta said hydrogeology is critical to size pumps properly because groundwater can affect how fast water refills any storage structures.
The district reported that permits for pool work are already in hand and that FEMA is reimbursing storm-related costs; staff said approved reimbursement to date is about 90% for items the agency agrees were storm-caused. On timeline, Superintendent Reynolds said that once construction is underway for a pool of this size, "it's a year and a half time frame" to complete the work, though he prefaced that as an estimate contingent on completing design and procurement.
Board members asked about campus-wide implications, including McKenna Field and the library courtyard; consultants said the study covers all district-owned property on the campus and that some areas beyond the pool, including a library courtyard, also show capacity problems. Staff emphasized coordination with the city because some outlets and downstream channels are on city property.
No final construction contract was approved at the meeting; staff said the drainage study and supporting subsurface work will be completed before the project advances to design development and construction bidding.