New

Green Stormwater Infrastructure Completed in Hinesburg

-- Lewis Creek Association, December 2014

At the beginning of October, the Lewis Creek Association completed the construction of a
stormwater treatment project known as the Silver Street Rain Garden. The project represents a
continuation of the work completed as part of a Town-wide hydrology study completed in 2011
and 2012, which targeted the Silver Street site as a potential location for a stormwater
treatment system. The project site is located at the intersection of VT Route 116 and Silver
Street in the Town of Hinesburg, was initiated and managed by the Lewis Creek Association with
funding provided by Vermonts Department of Environmental Conservation Ecosystem
Restoration Program.
The stormwater treatment system was designed to fit within the sloping site along Silver Street
between an existing drainage swale and the Hinesburg Masonic Lodge Building on Town-owned
land. The site was selected because it is the location of three storm drainage outfalls that drain
a portion of the Village. Prior to
constructing the rain garden,
runoff from the three outfalls was
conveyed directly to the Laplatte
River by an existing swale and
culvert system with little
treatment.
The rain garden will treat
stormwater runoff from a 6.7-acre
subwatershed collected by the
existing storm drainage systems,
with approximately 2.6 acres or
39% of the contributing watershed
Figure 0: Completed Upper Treatment Cell
consists of impervious surfaces.
The primary design objective is to capture the runoff from a 1-inch rainfall event, which
generally represents 90 percent of the rainfall events occurring annually. Treatment goals are to
remove 80% of the average annual total suspended solids (TSS) and to remove 40% of the total
phosphorus (TP) load present in the contributing stormwater runoff.
The stormwater treatment system was designed in a two-tiered configuration. The upper
treatment cell collects all of the stormwater from the existing drainage outfalls, transfers
stormwater to the lower treatment cell using a perforated riser structure, and bypasses larger
storms to the swale along Silver Street. The roadside swale was reshaped, re-vegetated, and
stone check dams were installed as part of the overall project. The lower treatment cell was

designed as a bio-retention basin allowing stormwater to pond a maximum of 18 inches before

discharging through a stone outlet weir. A bio-retention configuration provides the greatest
opportunity for stormwater to infiltrate, evaporate, or be utilized by the plants.
The Hinesburg Highway Department
working together with Distinctive
Landscaping of Charlotte constructed the
two-celled treatment system, including
stone filter berms, outlet piping and
overflow weirs, and planted over 1,200
native wetland plants and wildflowers in
addition to 150 shrubs to help slow and
treat stormwater draining towards the
LaPlatte River. Final design and
construction oversight services were
provided by Milone & MacBroom of
Waterbury.
Figure 0: Completed Lower Treatment Cell

Beyond improving local water quality, the

stormwater treatment system will enhance local aesthetics, require minimal maintenance, and
serve as a public demonstration of simple measures that can be used to treat stormwater within
a built environment.