Five intersections in the 700-acre Shandon neighborhood in Columbia, SC are prone to significant flooding due to an undersized storm drainage system. Fuss & O’Neill was retained to study the feasibility of green infrastructure to solve these flooding problems.

We evaluated the viability of retrofitting green infrastructure in two two-block pilot study areas. Fuss & O’Neill assessed the extent of improvements necessary across the watershed to solve flooding problems. Key findings from the study included a green infrastructure approach that would cost approximately $6 million. A previously-performed study by a different firm had estimated that a conventional drainage approach, consisting of larger or parallel storm drains, would cost approximately $12 million. Our green recommendations represent a 50% cost savings for the City of Columbia.