Stormwater Systems
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The CULTEC StormGenie Design Tool is a complimentary online tool for designing CULTEC Stormwater Systems. Using input system parameters, the tool generates project-specific AutoCAD drawings, reports, and submittals for our Contactor and Recharger Stormwater Systems in minutes. Click to learn more.
What is Stormwater?
Stormwater is the precipitation from a rainfall event or as a result of melting snow.
Why do we need to control Stormwater?
In undeveloped areas, rainwater is unrestricted and may be absorbed directly into the ground on which it falls. When an area is developed, buildings and parking areas overcome the natural absorption area where the rain would normally be infiltrated back into the ground. These impervious structures offset the typical absorption pattern. As a result, when the rain is not allowed to penetrate it begins to build up, may cause ponding or flooding and/or begins to flow to another location.
- Road flooding: accidents, washouts, driver delays.
- Building & property flooding: structural & property damage, sewer backup, foundation settlement, devalued properties.
- Environmental damage.
- Utility service interruptions.
- Increased clean-up costs, health hazards, personal inconvenience, increased insurance costs.
Past Solutions for Controlling Stormwater
- Concrete, Steel and HDPE pipe
- Concrete structures
- Swales and ponds
Disadvantages of conventional products:
- Heavy
- Don’t ship or stockpile well
- Require heavy equipment and manpower
- Labor Intensive
- Loss of valuable land
CULTEC’S Stormwater Management System Solution
By using CULTEC chambers, rainwater is collected in inlet structures and piped to an underground retention/detention system.
CULTEC Contactor® and Recharger® chambers may be used as underground retention/detention systems, as replacements for ponds, concrete structures or pipe and stone installations. CULTEC provides a complete stormwater management plan consisting of filtration, conveyance, storage and infiltration. CULTEC’s Stormwater Systems meet the regulations of EPA’s Phase II of the Clean Water Act and are approved by IAPMO Research and Testing, Inc. 
Advantages:
- Allows for more controlled infiltration into the ground.
- Replenishes the surrounding soil and aquifer.
- Decreases health liability issues such as West Niles breeding grounds for mosquitoes, or drowning.
- Avoids redirecting stormwater to a watercourse and potentially overloading or polluting our natural surroundings and resources.
- Frees up land for further development such as athletic fields or parking areas.
- CULTEC chambers effectively serve environmentally sensitive areas while making valuable land available for parking lots, athletic fields and other applications.
- The high capacity, open bottom chambers provide greater storage and much higher infiltrative capability than conventional pipe and stone systems.
- As a replacement for retention ponds, CULTEC chambers alleviate insurance concerns and loss of valuable land area.
- Less area and less crushed stone are required compared to conventional systems.
COMMERCIAL:
The placement of CULTEC stormwater management systems beneath parking areas allows for further site development without sacrificing land area. Retail development is directly related to the number of parking spaces available. Subsurface installations maximize land use and capability of additional parking spaces.
RESIDENTIAL:
CULTEC Chamber systems control roof and driveway run-off thereby eliminating ponding and allowing for alternative land usage such as for a swimming pool or tennis court while meeting EPA stormwater management regulations.
Click here for more information on Residential Drainage.
RAIN WATER HARVESTING:
CULTEC has launched a residential rainwater harvesting (CULTEC RRH) program that can greatly reduce household demand for non-potable water supply. In such a system, the Contactor and Recharger chambers capture and store rainwater that can be used for such activities as irrigation, fire prevention, sprinkler reserve and exterior cleaning.
How to Achieve LEED Credits with CULTEC Chambers
THE CULTEC Complete Stormwater Management System:
CULTEC provides a complete stormwater management plan consisting of filtration, conveyance, storage and infiltration. CULTEC’s Stormwater Systems meet the regulations of EPA’s Phase II of the Clean Water Act.
CULTEC, Inc. is the manufacturer of CULTEC Contactor® and Recharger® Plastic Stormwater Detention/Retention Chambers, CULTEC HVLV™ Header Systems and CULTEC Stormfilter® Water Quality Filtration Chambers.
Each of the products listed below may be used in conjunction with each other to provide a BMP manner of subsurface stormwater management in accordance to Phase II of the federally mandated Clean Water Act. The Clean Water Act mandates that a certain percentage of stormwater run-off be contained and treated on-site. This means that developers and homeowners need to capture and contain a degree of stormwater run-off that is shed by their impervious structures such as buildings and parking areas. Infiltration has been proven to be the leader in the removal of phosphorous, nitrogen, lead, zinc, suspended solids and organic carbon when compared to wetlands, water quality ponds, filtering systems and water quality swales.
Systems may be installed quickly and easily using an overlapping rib connection unique to CULTEC chambers. They require less stone and area than most pipe systems. They allow land to be use for other purposes such as parking. They are lightweight, yet they can withstand AASHTO H-20 defined loads when installed according to CULTEC’s recommended installation instructions.
Water enters from a collective device, typically from a catch basin inlet structure; it then passes through our CULTEC Stormfilter® Water Quality Filtration Chamber or CULTEC Separator Row to remove silt, fines and debris. The stormwater is then conveyed from the CULTEC Stormfilter® or CULTEC Separator Row and directed into the CULTEC Stormwater Management Chambers via our internal manifold system for storage until it can infiltrate back into the ground.
List of installations
CULTEC StormFilter® Water Quality Filtration Chamber
A plastic chamber consisting of series of pass-thru filter frames to remove debris, silt and fines from stormwater. The Stormfilter® can be entered and serviced through a top access opening brought up to grade. It is a value-engineering option to more cost-prohibitive alternatives.
Stormwater Water Quality Units
CULTEC Internal Manifold System
Feed connectors are inserted into the side portals of the CULTEC Chambers to act as feed lines within the bed of stormwater detention/retention chambers. It eliminates costly and labor intensive conventional pipe manifold systems which require multiple tee connections, cutting and critical alignment.
Manifold Components
CULTEC Contactor® and Recharger® Plastic Stormwater Chambers
The concept of HDPE plastic chambers derived from concrete structure predecessors. Dome-shaped, fully open bottom corrugated chambers. The chambers allow stormwater to be stored within the dome void until it can infiltrate into the ground. They are able to be used for residential or commercial use. They free up land areas that would be required for open retention/detention ponds and puts the system underground (such as under parking areas). Water is infiltrated into the ground and replenishes the surrounding soil and aquifer on-site rather than storing it above ground or redirecting it to a watercourse and potentially overloading or polluting our natural surroundings and resources. The lightweight plastic chambers replace conventional pipe and stone systems, concrete structures or above ground drainage areas such as ponds or swales.
Stormwater Chambers
Videos of CULTEC Chambers
We have developed our own MS Excel-based calculator programs to assist you with your designs.
Stormwater Design Calculator
We are able to assist you in your design by performing preliminary calculations and supplying AutoCAD layouts free of charge