HomeMy WebLinkAbout6a-03 Swale Maintenance SOPStormwater Swale System – Structural Control Inspection
City of Cape Canaveral
There are several miles of grass-lined, stormwater swales that are part of the City’s stormwater treatment system. Listed below are standard procedures for the inspection and maintenance
of these swales which are shown on the attached map.
Inspections:
Established stormwater swales are inspected once every three years using the following Structural Control Inspection Form. In addition, swale conditions are observed for problems that
may impact their functionality whenever they are mowed/maintained. New swales are inspected annually for the first two years of operation. If chronic problems are identified with a
swale, it is inspected annually until the problem is resolved (two consecutive annual inspections without an issue). Inspections are conducted close to the recovery time of that swale
(generally 72 hours after a significant rainfall event) to verify that the system still functions as intended.
The anticipated inspection schedule follows.
Maintenance:
There are several maintenance activities that may be associated with swales. The appropriate activity is chosen to correspond to the reported swale condition. The following activities
may be required:
Mow grass.
Remove trash and debris from system and dispose of properly.
Remove accumulated sediment from the inflow and/or outflow pipe and dispose of properly.
Eliminate any mosquito breeding habitats.
Repair any undercutting or piping around inflow and/or outflow structure.
Repair and re-establish any eroded areas on the bottom, side slopes, and/or near any structure.
Scrape, disc, or otherwise aerate the bottom of the swale to restore the infiltration capacity. Include soil testing, if needed, to verify that the infiltration capacity has been restored.
Re-establish the surface to its final condition (seed, sod, etc...).
Documentation:
The documentation for the inspection and maintenance activities related to swales should be maintained on the City’s shared drive in the folder labeled “Stormwater Swales”. Inspection
forms and reports documenting any swale system repairs/upgrades should be scanned and placed in the “Stormwater Swales” folder.
Grass-Lined Stormwater Swale System
Structural Control Inspection Form
Facility/Segment ID: ________________________ Date: _________________
Inspection conducted _______ days/hours after significant rainfall event.
FUNCTION:
Wet bottom? YES NO
Aquatic vegetation present? YES NO
Dead or dying grass on bottom? YES NO
Sediment accumulation? YES NO
Grading issue? YES NO
If YES, report to supervisor for further investigation or schedule for maintenance.
EROSION:
Vegetation on bottom or side slopes failing? YES NO
Any signs of erosion? YES NO
If YES, describe and schedule for maintenance: _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
___________________
GENERAL:
Any signs of damage from parking in swale? YES NO
Any fences or other objects that could obstruct flow into/through the swale? YES NO
If YES, schedule for maintenance.
Any indications of illicit discharge or illegal dumping? YES NO
If YES, describe and report to supervisor for proper response: ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________