Reuse of Unusable Land for a Stormwater Detention Pond

The City of Fond du Lac, Wisconsin completed a comprehensive stormwater planning process to meet the Wisconsin MS4 permit regulatory requirements. In Wisconsin, the MS4 permit includes a requirement to retrofit existing lands with management measures to reduce the existing sediment load by 40 percent on an annual basis. One component of the City's plan included identifying locations that could be retrofit to construct stormwater quality practices. One high priority site identified was the Rueping-Macy site. The site's location and land use made it ideal for a stormwater detention pond. However, the site has some unique characteristics to create a challenging design. The property was formerly occupied by a leather tanning facility and was classified as a Brownfield following closure of the facility. Subsurface investigations revealed elevated concentrations of various heavy metals. The proposed pond will be located on two parcels and the City did not own either parcel. The southern parcel was tax delinquent and its actual owner was difficult to identify. The northeast parcel was, however, available for sale. The pond will be served by two existing stormwater lift stations and both will be retrofitted to direct stormwater to the pond. Each challenge was overcome through planning and design and the pond will be constructed in late 2010/early 2011.