Sage Hill's commercial and residential Stormwater Facility is located in northwest Calgary, adjacent to West Nose Creek. The 7.5 hectare facility consists of three individual stormwater ponds that are interconnected via storm pipes, which together act as one system to treat the stormwater runoff from about 200 hectares of surrounding commercial and residential developments. Each pond has its own control structure, however, they are dependent on each other's capacity to adequately store stormwater runoff before it enters the creek via one outfall. These ponds are the first three of a total of eight stormwater facilities that will be constructed in this area and engineered by Progressive Engineering. Four of the future ponds will also act as one unit in their treatment process. As a part of the design, Progressive Engineering designed a two kilometre large storm line with size up to 1650mm to relay stormwater runoff.
Because the stormwater facility is constructed alongside West Nose Creek, it is exposed to high levels of groundwater which create a definite construction, and ultimately operational challenge. To counteract this, a network of slope and perimeter drains were installed. In addition to this, the creek is also an environmentally sensitive area that requires careful consideration during the planning and construction process. With the creek bounding on the east side and existing major roads on the west and south sides, the available area for the facility is limited. In order to gain additional storage capacity, long lengths of retaining wall were designed around the perimeter of each pond from the existing site rock.
The first two ponds within the system are classified as wet ponds with their own settling forebays, while the final pond is a wetland. The wetland contains two pools at either end that are connected by a shallow channel, which is landscaped with various depths of emergent plant material producing the appearance of a naturalized pond. This will provide a suitable habitat for various wildlife and waterfowl as well as an alternate method of treating stormwater. The facility is located within the regional pathway network for the community, providing an attractive area for residents to visit.
