INNOVATIVE STORMWATER MANAGEMENT AT URBAN PLAINS RECOGNIZED WITH ENGINEERING AWARD
5/6/2009

In the Urban Plains development in south Fargo, water is pulling double duty. Local stormwater ordinances require new developments to incorporate stormwater management elements that hold back large quantities of water from major precipitation events. These stormwater management elements usually consist of unsightly holding ponds. These ponds, however, did not match the vision Brandt Holding Companies had for the Urban Plains development. Their vision was to have a 10-acre lake as the centerpiece of the development and would be a local attraction.

The local engineering firm, Advanced Engineering and Environmental Services, Inc. (AE2S), was retained by project architect ICON Architectural Group to develop a stormwater quality management plan that could make the Brandt Holding Companies vision come to life. The plan went above and beyond the stormwater ordinance requirements of the City of Fargo to ensure the water in Urban Plain’s lake was of high quality, through proper filtering and treatment processes. The innovative features of the project not only make it more environmentally-friendly, but also earned it recognition from the North Dakota Council of Engineering Companies (NDCEC) in the form of an Engineering Excellence Award for Water Resources. The purpose of these awards is to recognize innovation, expertise, and achievements in engineering throughout the state.