West River Green Infrastructure Design

Fuss & O’Neill provided planning, engineering, and construction-phase services to the Greater New Haven Water Pollution Control Authority (GNHWPCA) for the installation of approximately 70 bioswales within the City-owned public right-of-way in combined sewer areas within the West River watershed in New Haven, Connecticut.

The project will help advance the water quality objectives of the GNHWPCA Combined Sewer Overflow abatement efforts and implement recommendations of the West River Watershed Management Plan. Project partners include the City of New Haven and the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (as the funding agency).

Bioswale sites were selected based on an evaluation of adjacent land use, site drainage, subsurface conditions, and other physical site constraints. Field data was collected to verify space constraints, drainage patterns, utility conflicts, parking conflicts, and other site features. A limited soil boring program was performed at selected locations to verify soil textural classifications and stormwater infiltration feasibility. The project included public outreach, preliminary and final design, preparation of bid documents, and construction phase services.