THE TECHNOLOGY OF HARRIS COUNTY FLOOD CONTROL DISTRICT story by Taelor Smith
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fter enduring the 2015 Memorial Day flood, the 2016 Tax Day flood, Hurricane Harvey in 2017 and other catastrophic storms in recent years, Harris County residents know all too well the unpredictability of the weather here. Sun can turn to drenching rain, and storms can linger indefinitely, bringing a year's worth of rain in a few days. To prepare for future sudden rain events, the Harris County Flood Control District has implemented innovative technologies and systems to reduce flooding through a series of projects meant to protect communities from severe damage. The 2018 Flood Bond Program approved by Harris County voters allotted $2.5 billion for stormwater detention basins, floodplain land acquisition, improvements to the flood warning system, and other necessary updates to the county’s flood control infrastructure. Several of the current countywide projects fall under HCFCD’s budget for Emerging Technologies and are paid for through a $25 million allocation of bond money. Four of these projects, worth an estimated $1.5 million, are under way in Precinct 4.
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Precinct4Update Fall/Winter 2021
DRAINAGE REUSE INITIATIVE (DRI) FEASIBILITY STUDY The ongoing Drainage Reuse Initiative (DRI) Feasibility Study will evaluate the effectiveness of using underground aquifers for rainwater storage and flood mitigation. Although the technology hasn’t been used in Harris County before, researchers are hopeful it will one day help prevent flooding across the county. "Other cities, like San Antonio and Austin, capture [stormwater]
into aquifers for the use of drinking water," shares Rob Lazaro, a communications specialist for the Harris County Flood Control District. "This is one of the first initiatives to do that [in the Houston area], and the pilot study is in Tomball." The study will determine the best of three ways to inject groundwater into Harris County's existing detention basins. The test areas within the basin will measure groundwater captured through natural drainage, enhancing drainage using dry wells, and mechanically driving water into the ground. Researchers will also consider the cost-effectiveness of each method, with natural drainage as the least expensive method and mechanically driven drainage as the most expensive. Study results are expected this summer. RAIN GARDEN DEMONSTRATION PROJECT Green infrastructure is another way the district fights flooding. The Rain Garden Demonstration Project is widespread throughout the county, but even more so in Precinct 4. It includes educating homeowners, homeowners associations, and municipal utility districts about the importance of incorporating green infrastructure into their landscapes to capture and slow rainwater. "These rain gardens use native plants as a natural filtration system," says Lazaro. "It slows down the water, like our detention basins would do, so that it all doesn't rush into the channel system." THIS PAGE The Drainage Reuse Initiative (DRI) Feasibility Study uses instruments to measure water levels in basins and aquifers that will help prepare for flood events. Photo by Crystal Simmons.
