Arcola Elementary School
Underground Stormwater Storage Facilities
Throughout the Sligo watershed, large underground stormwater storage facilities have been installed to protect Sligo Creek and reduce flooding. One such system is under the Arcola Elementary School playground. The children who play on the playground and the adults who accompany them are completely unaware of the huge grid of corrugated metal pipes (CMP) beneath them. This storage facility holds stormwater temporarily. A small outlet is used to slowly release the stormwater into Sligo Creek. These systems are used when space is limited and there are few practical alternatives. Underground detention structures are effective in stormwater runoff quantity control (flooding and stream bank erosion); however, these facilities provide little in the way of water quality control. The oils and fluids that drip from vehicles parked in the school parking lot for example, simply go through the system and into Sligo Creek.
Under the playground there is a large CMP network. The pipes are approximately 6' in diameter and are all interconnected to form a single storage system. These pipes were installed in June 2007.
There is a small discharge outlet in the discharge vault. The small opening ensures that the stormwater from the site slowly enters into Sligo Creek.
