Natural Gas Power Plant Stormwater Design
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Renovo Energy Center, LLC (Renovo) was required to provide post-construction stormwater management facilities for stormwater volume, rate, and quality controls for the proposed natural gas power plant to comply with National Pollution Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permit requirements.
Kleinschmidt performed stormwater calculations and design for multiple aspects of the power plant project, and the design included runoff calculations, culvert design, detention basin design, and sediment basin design. In addition, an analysis was performed for the entire project site to determine stormwater runoff pollutant loadings. Several design techniques were used to offset pollutant loading, including low impact measures such as native plantings and vegetated filter strips that created wildlife habitat. Infiltration and low-impact management practices were not suitable in a large part of the project due to a Brownfield designation. In the designated Brownfield site, filters were designed using soil media and a system of drains to provide water quality treatment. A system consisting of riprap-lined channels and plunge pools was designed to safely convey water down a steep hill on the site, allowing for a low-impact solution to erosive flow velocities. In addition, Kleinschmidt performed the erosion and sediment control calculations and designs associated with the project construction NPDES permit.
Kleinschmidt provided the client with a comprehensive stormwater design package by working closely with the client’s in-house power plant engineering team and regulators. The design met NPDES requirements on a site with difficult conditions including Brownfield contamination, steep topography, and ecologically significant habitat.