Consultants outline options for underground equalization tanks to reduce Fairview Park basement flooding

Consultants for the City of Fairview Park told the Environment, Public Works, Planning, Zoning and Development Committee on June 22 that underground equalization basins could reduce basement flooding and lower peak flows to the Rocky River Wastewater Treatment Plant.

Brian Rodney of Brown and Caldwell, the study subconsultant, said the city received $1,100,000 in congressional appropriations to study where storage could provide the most benefit. He described a modeling approach calibrated with flow-meter data and the city’s basement-flooding parcel database to identify high-priority problem areas.

"We could reduce this water level in the upstream area by more than 10 feet," Rodney said of a proposed basin near Vulcan Park, describing a roughly 1,100,000-gallon buried tank for the 5-year design storm. He said an alternative upstream site near Bayonne Park would provide strong local flood protection but limited peak-flow benefit at the treatment plant; an Alexander Road option could achieve similar storage using an oversized in-street pipe (60–72 inches) if land is scarce.

Kim (city staff member) emphasized that this is an initial round of analysis and that locations shown are preliminary. "This is by no means a done deal," she said, noting Mannequin Smith is the project prime and Brown and Caldwell is performing modeling work.

Rodney said the team will evaluate basins using cost-effectiveness and life-cycle metrics and compare avoided basement-damage dollars per parcel to capital and operating costs to produce benefit–cost ratios. He told council the analysis will focus on short-duration, high-intensity storms (5‑ and 10‑year design storms) and that the team will report a prioritized list of locations and scoring metrics.

On timing, Rodney said the team aims to finish the overall analysis by the end of July and deliver the full report by the end of August, with follow-up presentations to the council in September if needed. Council members pressed on constructability, maintenance and operations; Rodney answered that storage basins are typically cast‑in‑place concrete at the scales discussed, include pump and control systems, and can incorporate automated flushing to limit solids buildup and odors.

The committee voted to keep the equalization‑tank update active on the committee agenda for future review and next steps.

What happens next: the consultant team will complete cost and benefit calculations, confirm model inputs for areas with ongoing work, present a prioritized list of sites and a recommended set of next steps in the August report, and return to committee for further direction.