While we might be able to turn that around down the track, the reality is that we will have to adapt the way we live to survive in this new reality. We can’t just sit on our hands and watch the sea level rise. The earth is already sick. We’re praying it’s not chronic, but we know for sure it’s a condition that will worsen over time, at least in the short-
term. We must move beyond planning and talking, and actually start deploying similarly short-term interventions with urgency to buy us time to get the long-term and scalable solutions right.
In the around-the-clock world of the professional engineer where near-immediate response to clients is paramount to success, land de- velopment design programs are more than just software. For Rachel Barese, P.E. founder and president of Civil Tec Engineering and Sur - veying in Rockland County, just north of New York City, one program is providing the required accuracy with expediency for stormwater management systems. “I have been using the ADS StormTech design tool, and it helps espe - cially in preliminary calculations and trying to get layouts to fit,” she explained, “and to see what will work. It has been really helpful for us and has expedited our process. My firm focuses on land development and we use stormwater design on nearly all of our projects. This tool helps because we're able to have information earlier on in the process and drawings that we're able to provide to the municipalities with our plan design sets.” Civil Tec Engineering & Surveying, P.C. was founded in 2012 by Ba - rese and two others. Today, Civil Tec serves clients in the government, commercial, and private residential markets from their headquarters office in Rockland County and supporting offices in Orange County and the Capital region. The firm is a disadvantaged business Enterprise as certified by the New York State Department of Transpor - tation, and a Women-Owned Business Enterprise as certified by the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey. “During the past ten years, we have done, on the larger side, housing subdivisions, multi-family housing.” Barese explained. “We've also done shopping centers, office buildings, warehouses, schools, houses of worship, so a big range. In New York State, the DEC has require - ments for any project that's over an acre of disturbance. Not only do we have to meet a requirement of zero net increase in runoff, we're also required to help clean the water. I frequently find that no one CONTROLLING STORMWATER CHAMBER SYSTEM DESIGN
really wants to spend any money on drainage because you can't see it, but they have no problem having marble countertops or top of the line finishes. Drainage that you can't see is not something that they really are too thrilled about. But I remind everyone that they don't have a choice. This is a requirement. This is not a want. This is a must. With ADS StormTech detention systems, you're able to add what they call the Isolator Row that is a cost-effective way to meet the regulations, and their new design tool makes it easy for me to put that in.” The StormTech Isolator® Row PLUS catches and prevents sediment and other Total Suspended Solids (TSS) from settling at the bottom of the bed and slowing the infiltration rate. It can be cleaned out us - ing the JET-VAC® process. “It’s easy to incorporate into the design,” Barese offered, “we don’t have to fit in another different structure. It is verified by NJCAT and it counts for the quality and the quantity of the system which is a great benefit. “Before ADS developed the program, we were sending our informa - tion to Justin Piccillo, who is the ADS professional engineer and product manager for our area,” she said, “and he would provide what would be needed for the project. But now the StormTech design tool allows us to do it on our own. Sometimes we're working at odd hours, or it's something that all of a sudden someone has to have to have right away. Now we're able to do more on our own and on our own timetable. We've always been quick with a turnaround, but now we’re really in control.
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april 2022 csengineermag.com
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