Ferndale Experiments with Green Drainage Solution
(Crystal A. Proxmire, Oct. 29, 2016)
Ferndale, MI – In the midst of a longer than expected road construction project, Ferndale residents have been wondering what the city was thinking using bricks around the drains on three residential streets.
The pavers are an experiment in environmentally-conscious design and an attempt to reduce flooding during heavy rains.
In the past few years, the City of Ferndale has been looking for ways to manage the storm water during heavy rainfalls.  They invested in televising equipment and have been surveying drains throughout the city, looking for roots and areas of damage. They have changed the code of ordinances and encouraged residents to plant native landscaping, which holds more water than traditional lawns.  They’ve added medians on E. Nine mile with vegetation instead of concrete and used permeable pavement as part of the W. Nine Mile streetscape project.
The latest effort is happening on Leroy, West Breckenridge and Kensington.  A total of six drains have been surrounded with beige-colored bricks that are specially designed to collect some of the rainwater as it heads to the drains.
The PaveDrain bricks appear decorative on the surface.  But the underside has arches so that water that comes in between the bricks can pool beneath the arches before soaking into the ground below.  This diverts water that would normally flow quickly into the drain and helps prevent backups in the sewer system.
Additionally, water that goes into the ground is filtered through the underlying fabric and the gravel underneath, giving additional environmental benefit and lessening the cost of storm water treatment.
The project is not yet complete.  “The areas that seem uneven and have gravel will be covered by concrete,” said DPW Director Loyd Cureton.  The concrete will add stability to the pavers as well as give the areas a finished look.  The finishing touches are expected by mid-November.
The project has run into several delays, particularly on Leroy Street where workers found an area of sewer pipe that was in danger of collapse.
“We had to look at that situation and determine the best course of action,” Cureton said. “Do we rip up the street or do we or order CIP?”
CIP stands for Cured In Place, referring to a process that uses a liner injected with resin that is pulled through the existing pipe and allowed to harden.  The process is generally less expensive, less time consuming, and less disruptive than tearing up the street to install new pipe.
Because the repair was unexpected, ordering the lining added nearly a month of delay.
Another delay happened upon installation of the pavers.  PaveDrain is a relatively new technology, and the company hired to do the installation was unfamiliar with the process.  As the work was progressing, Cureton questioned if it was being installed properly.  He contacted PaveDrain and the company flew engineers out at their own expense to evaluate and help oversee part of the process.
“This added time to the project, but we wanted to make sure things were being done correctly.  Instead of proceeding, I decided it would be best to stop work until the experts came to give their opinion,” Cureton said.  “The work had been done to specification, but the company made their specifications more specific to this job to give the contractor more direction.”
Cureton added “I’m impressed that they came out at their own expense and took a hands on role in making sure this gets done right. This is just as much an experiment for them as it is for us.  They’d like to use Ferndale as an example, as much as we would like to be an example for other communities to look at as far as green infrastructure and innovation go.”
With the delays, and concerns over the amount of “wiggle room” in the pavers design, Cureton is undecided if the pavers are a good idea or not.
“This is really just an experiment,” he said.  “I’m not sure how they are going to hold up through the winter, and a lot of people are worried what will happen with the ploys and the snow. But we’re going to finish the job and see how they hold up.”
If the PaveDrain system does not work, the City has already planned on permeable pavement as a back-up option.
Permeable pavement is a more familiar innovation, but the cost to maintain it is higher because as the pavement clogs it needs to be vacuumed. Also if work needs to be done to the road or drain, the pavers can be easily removed and replaced.
If the City decided to switch to permeable pavement in the spring, the DainPave blocks can easily be used elsewhere in the city, such as for a parking area or a park pathway.  “They won’t go to waste,” Cureton said.
The project is expected to be complete in the next two weeks.
Cureton said that if people have questions about DPW activities in the City, they are always welcome to contact his office at (248) 546-2519.
To learn more about PaveDrain go to http://pavedrain.com/.