Impoundment and diversion systems for preventing or mitigating flooding

Claim 1

A system for preventing or mitigating flooding for use in conjunction with an existing drainage facility including an existing subterranean sewer conduit adequate for normal volumetric water drainage flow but subject to abnormal volumetric water flow therein, said system comprising a subterranean chamber located proximate to said drainage facility but laterally displaced from said drainage facility for impounding water from said sewer conduit, and diversion means constituted by the addition of at least one subterranean conduit interconnected with said sewer conduit for receiving water from said sewer conduit only in the event of abnormal flow in said sewer conduit for diverting water from said sewer conduit into said subterranean chamber for temporary storage therein response to abnormal volumetric water flow in said sewer conduit and for returning the temporarily stored water from said reservoir to said sewer conduit upon return to normal volumetric flow in said sewer conduit, said subterranean chamber having a floor higher than the water level defined by said sewer conduit during normal drainage flow therein, thereby preventing water normally from entering said subterranean chamber from said sewer conduit during such normal volumetric flow, said subterranean chamber having cross sectional dimensions substantially far greater than those of said sewer conduit for permitting entry of water into said subterranean chamber for temporary impoundment therein by lateral diversion of a substantial volume of water from said sewer conduit facility only upon rise of water level resulting from abnormal volumetric flow in said sewer conduit, said temporary impoundment preventing or mitigating flooding which otherwise may result from the incapability of said sewer conduit to handle said abnormal volumetric water flow.

Claim 2

A system for preventing or mitigating flooding for use in conjunction with an existing drainage facility including an existing subterranean sewer conduit adequate for normal volumetric water drainage flow but subject to abnormal volumetric water flow therein, said system comprising a subterranean chamber located proximate to said drainage facility but laterally displaced from said drainage facility for impounding water from said sewer conduit, and diversion means constituted by the addition of at least one subterranean conduit interconnected with said sewer conduit for receiving water from said sewer conduit only in the event of abnormal flow in said sewer conduit for diverting water from said sewer conduit into said subterranean chamber for temporary storage therein response to abnormal volumetric water flow in said sewer conduit and for returning the temporarily stored water from said reservoir to said sewer conduit upon return to normal volumetric flow in said sewer conduit, said subterranean chamber having a floor higher than the water level defined by said sewer conduit during normal drainage flow therein, thereby preventing water normally from entering said subterranean chamber from said sewer conduit during such normal volumetric flow, said subterranean chamber having cross sectional dimensions substantially far greater than those of said sewer conduit for permitting entry of water into said subterranean chamber for temporary impoundment therein by lateral diversion of a substantial volume of water from said sewer conduit facility only upon rise of water level resulting from abnormal volumetric flow in said sewer conduit, said temporary impoundment preventing or mitigating flooding which otherwise may result from the incapability of said sewer conduit to handle said abnormal volumetric water flow.

Claim 3

A system for preventing or mitigating flooding for use in conjunction with an existing drainage facility such as a creek, sewer or the like, said system comprising a subterranean chamber proximate to said drainage facility for impounding water from said drainage facility, and diversion means for diverting water into said chamber for temporary storage therein in response to abnormal volumetric water flow in said drainage facility and for returning the temporarily stored water from said chamber to said drainage facility upon return to normal volumetric flow in said drainage facility, at least one conduit interconnecting said drainage facility with said chamber, said chamber and conduit being oriented relative to said drainage facility for receiving water therefrom only in the event of abnormal flow in said drainage facility, and at least one further reservoir separate from said chamber and located thereabove, a further conduit interconnecting said chamber with said further reservoir, means for pumping water through said further conduit to transfer water from said chamber to said further reservoir, and a still further conduit for permitting selective draining of water from said further reservoir to said drainage facility.

Claim 4

A system for preventing or mitigating flooding for use in conjunction with an existing drainage facility such as a creek, sewer or the like, said system comprising a subterranean chamber proximate to said drainage facility for impounding water from said drainage facility, and diversion means for diverting water into said chamber for temporary storage therein in response to abnormal volumetric water flow in said drainage facility and for returning the temporarily stored water from said chamber to said drainage facility upon return to normal volumetric flow in said drainage facility, at least one conduit interconnecting said drainage facility with said chamber, said chamber and conduit being oriented relative to said drainage facility for receiving water therefrom only in the event of abnormal flow in said drainage facility, and at least one further reservoir separate from said chamber and located thereabove, a further conduit interconnecting said chamber with said further reservoir, means for pumping water through said further conduit to transfer water from said chamber to said further reservoir, and a still further conduit for permitting selective draining of water from said further reservoir to said drainage facility.

Claim 6

A system for preventing and mitigating flooding for use in conjunction with an existing drainage facility constituted by a creek, said system comprising a reservoir proximate to said drainage facility for impounding water from said drainage facility, and diversion means for diverting water into said reservoir for temporary storage therein in response to abnormal volumetric water flow in said drainage facility and for returning the temporarily stored water from said reservoir to said drainage facility upon return to normal volumetric flow in said drainage facility, said diversion means including at least one wall extending transversely across said creek, said wall being provided with an aperture therethrough permitting limited normal flow of water therethrough but causing damming of water behind said wall in the event of abnormal volumetric flow in said creek, said diversion means further including a communication between said creek and said chamber upstream of said wall for permitting water dammed behand said wall to flow temporarily into said chamber.

Claim 7

A system for preventing and mitigating flooding for use in conjunction with an existing drainage facility constituted by a creek, said system comprising a reservoir proximate to said drainage facility for impounding water from said drainage facility, and diversion means for diverting water into said reservoir for temporary storage therein in response to abnormal volumetric water flow in said drainage facility and for returning the temporarily stored water from said reservoir to said drainage facility upon return to normal volumetric flow in said drainage facility, said diversion means including at least one wall extending transversely across said creek, said wall being provided with an aperture therethrough permitting limited normal flow of water therethrough but causing damming of water behind said wall in the event of abnormal volumetric flow in said creek, said diversion means further including a communication between said creek and said chamber upstream of said wall for permitting water dammed behand said wall to flow temporarily into said chamber.

Claim 9

A system for preventing or mitigating flooding, for use in conjunction with an existing drainage facility constitued by a creek, said system comprising a reservoir proximate to said drainage facility for impounding water from said drainage facility, and diversion means for diverting water into said reservoir for temporary storage therein in response to abnormal volumetric water flow in said drainage facility and for returning the temporarily stored water from said reservoir to said drainage facility upon return to normal volumetric flow in said drainage facility, said diversion means including at least one wall extending transversely across said creek, said wall being provided for an aperture longitudinally therethrough permitting limited normal flow through said aperture but causing damming of water behind said wall in the event of abnormal volumetric flow in said creek, said conduit means providing for flow of water from said creek into said excavation upon the level of the water dammed behind said wall rising above a normal level thereby temporarily adding to the water level in said excavation.

Claim 10

A system for preventing or mitigating flooding, for use in conjunction with an existing drainage facility constitued by a creek, said system comprising a reservoir proximate to said drainage facility for impounding water from said drainage facility, and diversion means for diverting water into said reservoir for temporary storage therein in response to abnormal volumetric water flow in said drainage facility and for returning the temporarily stored water from said reservoir to said drainage facility upon return to normal volumetric flow in said drainage facility, said diversion means including at least one wall extending transversely across said creek, said wall being provided for an aperture longitudinally therethrough permitting limited normal flow through said aperture but causing damming of water behind said wall in the event of abnormal volumetric flow in said creek, said conduit means providing for flow of water from said creek into said excavation upon the level of the water dammed behind said wall rising above a normal level thereby temporarily adding to the water level in said excavation.