What the residents of Washington Terrace all talk about now is of lysimeters, piezometers and tensionmeters. These words ring a bell to them because for several years now, the residents in Washington Terrace have been plagued due to the underground water problem which they have been battling for over several years.

The ambitious project which is expected to cost approximately $75,000 has included the construction of an underground drainage system which will eventually be converted into a storm drain. Under the basement of homes in the area, segments of 15 inch pipes will be installed at exactly two feet as part of the system’s architecture. In the process, the open segments will then be bounded by a gravel envelope to let ground water bleed into the pipe. Supervised by a local state university student, the project also involves the installation of several kinds of measuring devices to determine the amount of water flowing through this underground pipe as well as the amount of surface water which is seeping into the ground. In no time, the work began with the putting up a gigantic cylindrical lysimeter in the city’s Central Park. Beneath a layer of grass, the big tank filled with soil and then enclosed in another cylindrical tank is buried deep to replicate the layers which surface water must travel before becoming part of the ground water flow. Learn about septic tank.

To record the water levels in the soil, one has to look for the lysimeter located at the center field line of the park’s baseball diamond where a set of stairs can be found going up to the towering device used to gauge water levels. To measure how deep the water level along the underground drainage system, a piezometer is used while to measure the amount of surface water, a tensionmeter is used. The devices mentioned which are not yet completely installed act some kind of a mechanical root.

Water is pulled out of the ground by the tensionmeter and returns water back to the soil as the turf begins to dry out. Because of the high prices that these devices incur, only two sets will be installed in the city park and another two on the study area of a private residence? place. Tensionmeters are most valuable for determining when the turf is in need of more water.

A study of the uniformity and output of sprinklers used by residents, the city, and two different churches will be included in other tests. If only many residents participate, the tests would be the answer in determining whether surface water is gravely adding up to the groundwater problem. The groundwater problem in the area shows that the underground drainage system is helping in the lessening of that particular problem as what studies indicate. Life was difficult back then for some of the residents, for they only received insignificant amounts of water when the system hasn’t been installed yet. It is recommended that you visit this site for resources on septic tanks prices.

Before May ended until mid June, the water tables in some areas have dropped as much as 2.5 feet according to studies. The leak from its holding tanks is not a major contributor to the groundwater situation according to another study. Although the surface water problem has not yet been studied extensively, preliminary results seem to show that among the groups who are contributing to the over watering, is the city.

Residents will learn how much water to be used and how it should be frequently used once the sprinkler tests have been accomplished. At the conclusion of all the studies, the city mayor is hopeful that residents will attend a series of meetings where the results of the study will be explained.

He said that after the council hears the comments from these residents, they will be in a better position to determine whether they should have extensive bonding for a major project or continue at a slower rate. To be able to get rid of the problem, the mayor suggested that subdividers be put up in this type of system in future land developments due to the ability of the underground drain to handle both subsurface and surface water.

Tags

House and Home