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Four Mile Run Green Stormwater Infrastructure

INDUSTRY:
Water and Sewer

SERVICES:
Civil

LOCATION:
Pittsburgh, PA

CLIENT:
Pittsburgh Water

4 mile run survey
4 mile run testing
4 mile run geotechnical testing

Four Mile Run encompasses Schenley Park and several Pittsburgh neighborhoods. Nearly a century ago, the natural stream in this area was diverted underground through pipes that are now part of the combined sewer system. Over time, much of the land within Four Mile Run was paved over. While these were standard practices of the time, they are no longer acceptable and contribute to the recent problems of flooding and sewer overflows throughout Pittsburgh. The Four Mile Run stormwater improvement project will capture and route the flow of stormwater through a naturalized surface channel that will generally follow the path of the historic streams that formed Four Mile Run from Panther Hollow Lake to the Monongahela River. 

Additionally, Pittsburgh Water is evaluating the construction of wetlands and other natural stormwater treatment systems along with improvements to Panther Hollow Lake. This project provides opportunities to construct additional nature-based stormwater solutions that will improve water quality by reducing the amount of stormwater entering the combined sewer system. It also includes the restoration of recreation uses at Panther Hollow Lake and improvements to the Junction Hollow Trail in Schenley Park. For this project, Sci-Tek provided the following services:

  • Flow Monitoring Manhole Inspections
    • Flow and rainfall monitoring coordination and management including manhole inspections sing confined space entry procedures and site evaluations, detailed GIS mapping, and flow meter installation, maintenance, and calibration activities.
    • Preparation of the Sewer Flow and Rainfall Monitoring Report to summarize the flow and rainfall monitoring activities. The basis of this report is a sixth-month monitoring program using seventeen flow meters and ten rain gauges within the M-29 Sewershed.
  • Site Geotechnical Explorations
    • Provided geotechnical services for stream restoration and tunnel alignment alternatives that will connect the restored Four Mile Run to the Monongahela River. This includes drilling test borings and installing groundwater monitoring wells and supporting the Basis of Design Report with geotechnical and geological information.
  • Permitting
  • Prepared Erosion & Sedimentation Control Plans for the modification of the embankment dam and stormwater conveyance channel from Panther Hollow Lake to the Monongahela River.