Page 12 - Lifestyles in Palm Beach Gardens - December '24

Page 12, Lifestyles in Palm Beach Gardens
Northern Notes

Know The Flow

By Katie Roundtree,
Director of Finance and
Administration, Northern
Palm Beach County
Improvement District
Flood control in Florida
is a shared responsibility
that provides maximum
benefit only when all
components (primary,
secondary and tertiary) are
designed and constructed
to work together and are maintained in proper working
order. Florida is more complex than many states, where knowledge and actions can greatly contribute to your
one entity usually provides local and regional drainage community’s flood resilience. Here’s what you can do:
for the community. In Florida, some areas have no formal rains, floodgates may be opened, and water levels might 1. Familiarize yourself with your particular drainage
drainage systems and are prone to routine flooding; others be lowered to accommodate direct rainfall and accept system and how it fits into the overall South Florida
may be covered by several organizations or governments inflows from the “secondary” systems. During and after drainage picture.
providing varying service levels. Depending on heavy rains, excess water is routed through all available 2. Learn how the stormwater system works in your area
conditions, water may have to be routed through several “primary” waterways to regional storage areas or coastal and how to properly maintain the facilities under your
interconnected, though independent, conveyance systems discharge points to relieve flooding as quickly and safely responsibility.
–each must be properly maintained and functioning – to as possible. 3. Understand your community’s irrigation needs. Turn
provide flood protection for south Florida neighborhoods. What can YOU do to help? off your irrigation before a storm. Return to normal operating
So, what path does stormwater typically follow from As a resident or business owner, you play a crucial role conditions after the storm. Remember, if the ground is
your neighborhood to its final destination? Here’s an in flood control. Your actions can significantly impact your saturated, you may not have to irrigate for quite some time
example. Five inches of rain falls in 24 hours over an community’s resilience to flooding. Here’s what you can do: after the storm.
inland community. This rain follows a wet period, so 1. Ensure your neighborhood’s drainage grates, ditches, Reporting the location and condition of any clogged
groundwater levels are already high. According to most and swales are debris-free. or damaged facilities is a crucial step in flood control. By
approved drainage designs, some water is temporarily 2. Remove loose items, including yard debris, from doing so, you are actively contributing to your community’s
stored in public recreational areas, yard swales and your yard. Debris and litter can clog storm drains and flood resilience. Please make a note of important telephone
streets. Drainage swale areas are sloped to catch water cause flooding. numbers and keep them handy for quick reporting.
and filter out pollutants as water is absorbed into the 3. Check your community retention pond or lake for NPDES tip: Your neighborhood drainage system is not
ground. Some yards direct water to the community obstructed pipes and contact the appropriate authority for a garbage disposal — don’t treat it like one. Encourage
drainage system as runoff, with very little water retained removal (this could be your HOA/POA, city, county, or local residents to take responsibility and to not dump chemicals,
in the yard. The excess surface water slowly drains to drainage district). fertilizer, paint, oil, etc., in inlets or pipes. Discourage
community lakes or on-site ponds via street and yard 4. Find out who is responsible for drainage in your sweeping of lawn clippings and dirt into street drains and
drainage grates, swales, ditches or canals. Homeowner community. Visit SFWMD.gov/FloodControl. Note the disposing of lawn clippings and other debris (wood, concrete
associations typically assume the maintenance and upkeep service area status under the search results. It may not be blocks, Christmas trees, etc.) directly into retention lakes.
of community drainage facilities. Water then drains from serviced even if the location is within an agency’s jurisdiction. Keep drainage facilities clear of vegetation, trash, improperly
the community or “tertiary” system through underground As a homeowner or property owner association official, and illegally discarded appliances, shopping carts, tires, cars,
pipes to the “secondary” system, which is mainly operated you are a key player in the flood control process. Your garbage bags, etc.
by the Northern Palm Beach County Improvement District
(Northern) in this area. Cities and the county also maintain
“secondary” systems, depending on development plans.
The “secondary” drainage system is usually a network of
canals, structures, pumping stations and storage areas. These
systems can cover several hundred square miles and serve
many communities. In communities maintained by Northern,
stormwater systems are gravity-fed or pumped using
stormwater pump stations. Water moves through a series
of lakes and canals via weirs (fixed structures), operable
gates and pump stations. These systems sometimes move
water through multiple communities, so the “downstream”
effects must be considered when moving water from one
area to another. The stormwater systems discharge into
local canals managed by Northern or other municipalities.
Northern uses a telemetry system to monitor and remotely
open and close gates and pumps. Weather conditions and
water levels are monitored around the clock. Water levels
in the secondary drainage system can be lowered to allow
more water storage and minimize flooding. These systems
discharge water into the “primary” flood control system as
long as carrying capacity is available.
The South Florida Water Management District operates
the “primary” drainage system. In anticipation of heavy

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