Gradient is your go-to team for stormwater planning and management needs. We have you covered from comprehensive watershed planning to cutting-edge stormwater engineering. Our experienced professionals have tackled various projects, applying state-of-the-art modeling software and design tools to deliver successful results. Let us help you navigate the complex world of stormwater management with our expertise and commitment to excellence.
Stormwater Planning and Management
At Gradient, we specialize in stormwater planning and management. Our team members have worked on various studies, from small-scale drainage projects to larger watershed-scale flood improvement plans. We take pride in developing watershed plans that comply with regulatory standards and have successfully assisted communities in securing grants for project implementation. With our comprehensive modeling, planning, and capital improvement projects, we can help prioritize the needs of your community and develop cost-effective solutions.
Innovative Stormwater Engineering
Research, evaluation, modeling, design, and construction administration are pillars of our stormwater engineering services. Our staff is equipped to help you conduct research studies, collecting and analyzing data to inform decision-making. We have the expertise to evaluate the feasibility of stormwater management measures and provide sound opinions on design and implementation. Let our team bring decades of experience to your stormwater design projects to provide exceptional quality and functionality standards. And when it comes to construction administration, we'll be there every step of the way, monitoring compliance and delivering results.
Enhancing Water Quality
At Gradient, we understand the importance of water quality. Our experienced team can assist with monitoring plans, data collection, analysis, and reporting to regulatory agencies or citizens. Let us help you protect and enhance your water resources' health and safety.
Our team has experience in a variety of water quality modeling tools and software to better understand pollutant fate and transport in our surface waters. We can assist you with review, development, and implementation of simple and complex models for navigating the water quality regulations and identifying strategies to reduce pollutants to the streams and lakes.
MS4 Regulatory Compliance Support
Navigating MS4 regulations can be daunting, but our team has the experience to help. Whether you're a Phase I or Phase II community, we can assist with mock audits, compliance analysis, and program development. Our experts can also help you improve your stormwater inspection and maintenance programs, update codes and ordinances, and engage the public in your stormwater initiatives.
Stormwater Asset Management
Managing stormwater assets requires expertise and careful planning. Our Engineers and Institute of Asset Management (IAM) certified staff can assist you with all phases of asset management, from inventory and condition assessments to risk assessments and prioritization of assets to repair and rehabilitation designs of the assets. Our approach to asset management focuses on increasing asset useful life, minimizing risk exposure, reducing life-cycle costs, and maintaining compliance. We can also develop standard operating procedures with customized technical specifications for the maintenance of Stormwater Control Measures, conduct annual inspections for NPDES permit compliance, and provide guidance for streamlining and managing datasets.
Dam Safety and Compliance
Our team has the knowledge and experience to assist dam owners in compliance with regulatory requirements. From conducting hydrologic and hydraulic analyses to preparing Emergency Action Plans, we'll address the safety and compliance of your dam. We can also support emergency drills and inspections to keep your dam in shape.
OUR WATER PROJECTS
Since our inception in 2018, Gradient has held stormwater engineering on-call contracts with multiple municipalities with Phase I/Phase II NPDES regulations and other local/state mandates. Under these contracts, Gradient has performed a variety of stormwater services, for example:
Watershed Planning Studies.
Gradient uses advanced technology and comprehensive data to identify flooding hotspots in highly urbanized areas. We have developed sophisticated PCSWMM models, incorporating LiDAR data, stormwater structure GIS data, and LiDAR-scanned First Floor elevation data. Our model estimates storm discharges for various rainfall events, ranging from 2-year to 500-year, 24-hour storm durations. We perform a flood study using 1-D and 2-D modeling techniques and evaluate multiple drainage improvement scenarios to meet acceptable service levels.
In addition to stormwater quantity (flooding), our team members specialize in water quality modeling and analysis as part of the stormwater planning and management process. This is especially important for jurisdictions facing multiple local and state regulations (nutrient rules, TMDLs, etc). We engage stakeholders throughout the watershed planning process to achieve community satisfaction and project success.
Our team is familiar with the NCDEQ watershed planning process and developing watershed plans that meet the USEPA 9-element planning criteria. Contact us today to discover how we can help you overcome your stormwater challenges and achieve a more resilient and sustainable future.
Stormwater Capital Improvement Projects.
Gradient excels in storm sewer improvements and culvert replacements. We recently completed a project where we analyzed multiple solutions to address flooding in a specific area of a municipal client. Our cost-effective approach involved a 36-inch diameter outfall, discharging to a nearby creek. This solution eliminated upstream flooding and significantly reduced flooding within and downstream of the street. Even during a 6-hour representative storm, flooding is limited to just 0.35 feet (about 4 inches) for less than 2 hours. Our effective solution greatly minimized flooding impacts in the area, creating a safer environment for the community.
Stormwater Asset Management.
We offer comprehensive stormwater asset management services. We can conduct detailed inventories of engineered and natural stormwater assets using cloud-based solutions. Our team specializes in assessing the condition of these assets, specifically, SCMs (stormwater control measures), to identify deficiencies that hinder MS4 permit compliance, increase ownership costs, and reduce their effective life.
We leverage our expertise to develop custom assessment questions aligned with the NCDEQ Stormwater Design Manual that evaluate asset failure risks and consequences. By developing risk scores, we enable agencies to track asset performance and optimize the allocation of available funds.
Our extensive experience makes us well-equipped to develop repair and rehabilitation plans for deteriorating and non-compliant stormwater assets. In addition, we provide reliable estimates for repair costs through our opinion of probable costs assessment. We offer construction administration support throughout the process, from bidding to developing post-repair "record drawings."
