The Evolution of a Stormwater Control Project: Protecting Downtown New Haven Against the Rising Flood

New Haven, Connecticut experiences repeated flooding during short-duration, high-intensity rainfall. Over the last decade, the frequency of these storm events and resulting flooding has increased. The City’s Downtown Stormwater Control Project seeks to address existing flooding problems, as well as future climate change impacts. Building on the City’s previous studies, CDM Smith updated New Haven’s Storm Water Management Model (SWMM), investigated issues contributing to flooding, and identified cost-effective, innovative improvements that reduce flooding and contribute to urban revitalization. This paper describes how proposed stormwater control solutions evolved from a 2012 plan to upgrade existing drains with large-diameter gravity pipes under the New Haven Rail Yard to a 2020 plan for a less disruptive microtunneled storage pipe solution under the Rail Yard, connecting to a new shoreline pumping station. The project is funded through a Community Development Block Grant-Disaster Recovery grant made available after Hurricane Sandy in 2012.