Several
years ago, the Cambridge Department
of Public Works (CDPW) initiated
a stormwater management program
to provide improved drainage
service throughout the Agassiz
area for storms up to a 25-year,
24-hour storm event. This amounts
to a total of 5.5 inches of
rain falling over a 24-hour
time period. The essential features
of the City of Cambridge program
include the construction of
underground stormwater storage
tanks combined with new storm
drains.
The Beacon Street
Project, which is part of this
program, included installation
of two underground storm water
storage tanks under Beacon Street
in the vicinity of Miller Street
and Museum Street. As part of
this project, new catch basins
were installed on both sides
of Beacon Street to collect
street runoff from Prentiss
Street to Museum Street.
Localized street
runoff collected from the catch
basins is now discharged into
the existing 48-inch diameter
storm drain. Once the 48-inch
diameter pipe is full, excess
flows are conveyed and stored
in the two underground storage
tanks. After the storm event,
as capacity in the drainage
system becomes available, the
stormwater contained in the
tanks is pumped back into the
Beacon Street 48-inch diameter
pipe by two underground pumping
stations.
Following construction,
the surface features on Beacon
Street will be returned to pre-construction
conditions. The City of Somerville
will be proceeding in the near
future with complete restoration
(new pavement, curbs and sidewalks)
of Beacon Street from Somerville
Avenue to Inman Square. |
