ABSTRACT
Stormwater management facilities perform the function of removal of water from street, highway sections, parking areas, and other drainage areas and the protection of the facilities from the effects of the water. These stormwater management facilities include drop inlets, storm drains, culverts, underdrains, ditches, slope protection, detention facilities, and erosion-control devices. In order for these facilities to function as designed and constructed, they must be properly maintained. In a recent survey of North Carolina cities, 20% of the cities stated that local flooding problems within their jurisdiction were attributed to maintenance problems (Roenigk et al., 1992). Detention pond surveys conducted in Maryland found a 70% failure rate for one set of detention ponds and about 50% failure rate for ponds from all three surveys conducted (Maryland, 1986). Another Maryland survey found high failure rates for infiltration basins (Galli, 1992). A major reason was poor or nonexistent maintenance.
