Company:
City of Anaheim
Status:
Awarded
Awarded:
Water Project of the Year
Additional Files
PDF submission with images and descriptions.
Additional Information

Modjeska Park Underground Stormwater Detention and Infiltration System

Project Location:

Modjeska Park is a 23.5-acre park located in the City of Anaheim, California within Orange County. The project was constructed underneath Modjeska Park’s Eastern-most parking lot and the project boundary included surrounding walkways, minor road construction, and a portion of the park area. The nearest cross streets are South Nutwood St. and West Woodworth Avenue.

Project Description:

The City of Anaheim selected Cannon to engineer a solution to a multi-faceted problem. Extensive flooding in the Modjeska Park neighborhood caused by an under-sized storm drain line prompted an urgent local need for stormwater management. The project became a part of Orange County’s larger Storm Water Resource Plan, with the objectives to 1) protect and enhance regional water quality, 2) manage storm water runoff, and 3) increase local water supply. The project utilized the existing 37,000 square foot parking lot in Modjeska Park to capture and infiltrate a minimum of one hundred and fifty (150) acre-feet per year of dry weather urban runoff from Drainage area 12 of the Anaheim Barber City Channel Tributary Area. To address these goals, the City proposed an underground, pre-manufactured infiltration/detention system, which would be designed to control stormwater, reduce runoff, and improve water quality by filtering pollutants in the substrata layers. The successful Modjeska Park Underground Stormwater Detention and Infiltration System is now fully constructed and open to the public.

Project Justification:

After a detailed feasibility study and alternatives analysis, the prevailing design incorporated a modular precast detention system which was augmented to maximize infiltration and conform to site conditions. Unique design elements included drywell-wicks as described below, a drop-inlet structure to divert flows from the undersized drainage pipe, a custom pre-treatment system with PVC gallery siphons to prevent sediment clogging and standing water, as well as a custom trash capture device to mitigate future maintenance. The parking lot was reconstructed with permeable pavers to maximize water conveyance to the system. The project provides a benefit to the community and the greater environment by reducing stormwater volume to regional channels and enhancing water quality. Nuisance flooding will no longer encroach on homeowners’ properties or threaten damage to current infrastructure. By eliminating backflow into the street, the roadway conditions are safer for motorists and pedestrians during storm events. Modjeska Park’s underground system does not interfere with park use or future development. Educational signage was also installed to promote public knowledge about stormwater engineering.
Infiltrating runoff naturally filters pollutants into the soil, which treats and recharges groundwater. Replenishing the water table this way preserves the local water resource and reduces marine pollution. During construction, the City minimized waste by utilizing excess soil toward other local projects and replacing the affected portion of the irrigation system for more efficient water use. For every tree removed, it was replaced with two new trees.

Special Circumstances:

Geotechnical reporting and percolation tests showed more favorable soils between 35 and 40 feet below grade, deeper than the viable depth of the infiltration gallery. To optimize infiltration, the team proposed a series of 66 drywells to act as wicks underneath the system, effectively moving water to the more porous soils within the substrata layers. The project has received two previous honors for its innovative design including a 2021 Engineering Excellence Honor Award from the American Council of Engineering Companies and a 2020 Project of the Year Award from the American Public Works Association’s Southern California Chapter.

Project Attachments:

See attached PDF submission for additional photos and descriptions.

Award Citation::

Modjeska Park Underground Stormwater Detention and Infiltration System Project in Anaheim, CA, designed by Cannon of San Luis Obispo, CA. To solve flooding in the surrounding neighborhood, Cannon was selected as the Engineering Consultant to design an underground detention and infiltration system under Modjeska Park’s 37,000 square foot parking lot. The precast concrete system collects and treats 182 acre-feet per year of urban runoff, while filtering pollutants into substrata soils.

Suggested Award Summary:

Modjeska Park Underground Stormwater Detention and Infiltration System Project in Anaheim, CA, designed by Cannon of San Luis Obispo, CA.

This state-of-the-art underground system solves local flooding issues for the residents of Anaheim by diverting and treating about 182 acre-feet of urban runoff per year. The system is located under a 37,000 square foot parking lot in Modjeska Park. As part of Orange County’s Stormwater Resource Plan, the modular concrete system protects regional water quality by collecting, treating, and infiltrating urban runoff and stormwater flows, and thereby recharges the local groundwater supply. The finished project is engineered with drywells to maximize groundwater recharge and features a custom-designed pre-treatment system as well as a trash capture device to minimize clogging and maintenance. Refinished with permeable interlocking concrete pavers, the beautified parking lot was upgraded to increase accessibility for those with disabilities while also maximizing water conveyance to the system.
Benefitting the local community as well as the greater environment, the system prevents water damage to current roadway infrastructure and homeowners’ properties, while also increasing safety of motorists and pedestrians during storm events. By infiltrating the runoff, pollutants are naturally filtered into the soil, which replenishes the water table and reduces marine pollution. Construction is now complete, and the park has been reopened for public use as of July 2020. The underground structure does not impede park use or future park development.

Cannon is a multi-disciplinary Engineering Consulting firm with offices in San Luis Obispo, Irvine, and Los Angeles. Their mission is to provide reliable, responsive solutions to their clients.

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