Stormwater Ponds in Coastal South Carolina Appendix A7-4 – Expert Survey Results
Summary of responses according to stage of stormwater pond.
| Stormwater Pond Communication and Outreach Team – Expert Survey Findings | |
| Stages 1-3: Stormwater Pond Design, Pre-Construction, Construction | |
| Focus Area | Findings |
| Resources: Design Standards | SC DHEC Best Management Practices Manual |
| New SC Coastal LID Manual | |
| Resources: Design Submittal Process | SC DHEC Permanent Maintenance Agreement |
| Site Plans | |
| Maintenance Schedule | |
| Potential Performance Failures | Questioning if pond is built to specifications. HOA requesting a report of the design after pond is built. Provided in narrative form with photos. |
| Slopes not per design; sloughing of slopes. | |
| Depth often close to design, but not exact. | |
| Contractor-engineer lack of communication. | |
| Sedimentation, lack of sediment control barriers around pond. | |
| Signs of Improvement | Inspectors are able to improve site conditions during construction. |
| Seeing increase in 2015 of littoral shelves, forebays. | |
| Stage 4: Stormwater Pond Post-Construction | |
| Focus Area | Findings |
| Transfer of Ownership: Process | Recommendation to include a fact sheet of pond function, performance and management options. |
| Recommendation for a fact sheet on stormwater infrastructure maintenance responsibilities. | |
| Developer having a positive relationship with HOA at the time of transfer is beneficial. | |
Community is not often made aware of when Transfer of Ownership has occurred. Recommendation to improve policies so that state can acknowledge a transfer of ownership and this is communicated back to community. Information provided by community, created by Carolina Clear, not passed from developer to HOA. | |
| Transfer of Ownership: Most Important Messages | Pond is not only an amenity: flood control, retains pollutants. |
| Residents’ individual property management choices affect the neighborhood pond. | |
| Maintenance and upkeep is the responsibility of the neighborhood. | |
| Neighborhood should develop a maintenance plan for their pond, with inspection schedule. | |
| Keep drains clear of debris. | |
| Understand your options in managing your pond long-term, not just single season or single treatment. | |
| Lack a mechanism to inventory HOAs, receive contact information for new HOAs. | |
| Lack of concise record-keeping for new board members of during change of property management companies. | |
| Developer identified as best suited entity to provide stormwater pond function and maintenance information. | |
| Impacts to pond are created by all properties, not just those along the pond edge. | |
| A capitol reserve study evaluation needs to be conducted that considers infrastructure ownership and costs of maintenance. | |
| Frequent Public Concerns, Perceptions | Flow obstruction mostly from vegetation including cattails |
| Erosion on banks, in receiving ditch | |
| Sedimentation | |
| Pipes exposed, disconnecting, leading to sinkholes | |
| Weed control, algae | |
| Expectation that community will fix pond, if HOA does not have the means to do so. | |
| See fountains as most aesthetically pleasing, but bottom aerators do the better job of circulating water in the pond. | |
| Failure Rates | Greatest in Hilton Head Island and Charleston area in south coast; Murrell’s Inlet in north coast. |
| Maintenance Observations | Newer ponds have plans, inspection reports and even digital tracking systems; older ponds often narrow, experience sedimentation.
Set goals for HOAs to conduct their own inspections for greater ownership, responsibility and action taken on behalf of observations. Suggestion for HOAs to develop a Stormwater Committee. |
| County/City Priorities | Intact infrastructure |
| Flood control, depth | |
| Water quality | |
| Bank stability | |