Humble ISD Contractor Reduces Sediment-Laden Runoff

1/27/25 – The Humble ISD contractor in charge of rebuilding Foster Elementary has taken multiple, positive steps to reduce sediment-laden runoff from the construction site. Neighbors complained in early January about silty runoff from the site.

Chris Parker and Robert Scarfo, two members of the school board, contacted me and facilitated a meeting with contractors and ISD construction supervisors at the site. The meeting was unusual in that the six people present all seemed eager to eliminate the problem, not just convince me that I shouldn’t worry about it.

We spent the next 90 minutes discussing preventive measures they had implemented.

Final Phase of Construction Had Just Started

As it turns out, the project had just recently entered the third phase of the reconstruction effort.

Demolition and utilities/permitting precede new construction. So, the contractors had not yet fully installed all measures designed to prevent sediment-laden runoff when the early January storm struck. However, between the initial incident and the time we met on 1/24/25, they had made considerable progress.

I went back today after a 2″ rain yesterday. I can’t say there was no runoff. But the water left standing in the street was the clearest I have ever seen around a construction site. The turnaround was dramatic.

Multiple Lines of Defense

Measures designed to prevent sediment-laden runoff included:

  • Three stormwater detention basins, two of which they will later connect into a larger basin
  • Silt fences around the entire site
  • Secondary fences to keep people back from the sharp stakes that anchor the silt fences
  • A novel form of storm-drain-inlet-protection (see pics below)
  • Wattle rolls (tubular barriers filled with straw) wherever perimeter top soil had been disturbed
  • Gravel at construction site entrances to knock mud off the tires of trucks leaving the site
  • A full-time employee dedicated to scraping mud off surrounding streets and sweeping them clean

More on the Way

In addition, they have ordered “track-out matts” to help knock mud off the tires of trucks. The matts replace gravel traditionally used at entrances. However, gravel must constantly be replenished as it gets pushed down into the dirt.

The surface of the new matts features a grid of pyramid-shaped bumps that minimize the amount of mud tracked out of job sites by construction vehicles. They also protect keep gravel from becoming embedded in tires

As an environmental bonus, the HDPE mats are re-usable for up to 10 years.

Pictures of BMPs Now in Place

I took the pictures below on Friday, 1/24/25, and Monday, 1/27/25. On Sunday and Monday morning, we received approximately 2″ of rain.

The old Foster Elementary school had no stormwater detention basins. The new Foster will have two when finished. The construction road separating the two on the left will be removed at the end of construction to connect the two halves.
Temporary channels lead runoff into the detention ponds for now until the permanent drainage is installed.
Note the filtration in front of the pipe leading from one of the ponds to the storm sewer.
Note gravel at the construction entrance in the upper right.
On Friday, a fresh load of gravel had just arrived for another entrance.
The black silt fence is semi-porous. It lets water through, but holds sediment back. The bottom is buried to keep water from rushing under it. Note sharp ends on stakes supporting the silt fence. The outer blue fence protects pedestrians from those stakes and other job site dangers.
scraper
Contractor has one employee dedicated to scraping and sweeping up dirt full time.
A wattle roll helps protect the sidewalk from erosion in the disturbed area.
Multiple layers of protection: 1) silt fence behind blue fence, 2) a wattle roll, and 3) inlet protection (see more below).
A wire cage snaps into the storm drain inlet. Porous fabric lets water enter the drain, but traps dirt, leaves and other street debris. This is an alternative to the sandbags placed beside inlets at many construction sites. This system does not force water out into the street like the sandbags do.

Surrounding Streets Looked Much Better Today

Several of the construction managers for the contractor live in Kingwood and helped rescue people during Harvey. After spending 90 minutes with them, I believe they want to avoid a repeat as much as other residents. They fully understand the importance of reducing sediment-laden runoff and seem to do a much better job than competition.

Shortly after the rain ended this morning and before the contractors arrived, I took the two shots below. They show the impact of following best management practices.

Cystal Springs Drive south of Foster reconstruction site. Note the absence of sediment buildup near the curb.
Water near the curb was as clear as any I have seen next to a construction site, thanks to all the measures above.

Construction experts say we can’t always expect runoff to be this clear. It may contain particles of clay so fine that they migrate through silt fences. But particles that small usually remain suspended and float out into the Gulf without blocking drainage.

However, we do need to prevent larger particles from settling out of suspension in gutters and storm drains, and accumulating into layers of muck.

I plan to revisit this site periodically throughout the construction to monitor progress.

The new building will have enough capacity for 800 students. The artists renderings look beautiful. The Humble ISD says the facility should open for the 2026-2027 school year. I can’t wait to see it.

Posted by Bob Rehak on 1/27/2025

2708 Days since Hurricane Harvey

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