Chesapeake Regional Medical Center
Stormwater Master Plan and Model | Chesapeake, VA

The first elements of Chesapeake Regional Medical Center (CRMC), formerly known as Chesapeake General Hospital, were built in the mid-1970’s, when “stormwater management” was little more than “storm drainage.”  Through the decades, CRMC expanded, but without a comprehensive, campus-wide Stormwater Master Plan and Model meeting modern stormwater management criteria and practices.  Shortly after beginning its service to CRMC, American Engineering recommended a proper model be developed, spurred on by the impending expansion of CRMC’s Cancer Center.

Compared to many Coastal Plan Stormwater Management Models (SWMMs), the CRMC watershed has a relatively low ratio of storage volume to watershed area, due to the extent of early development and high impervious cover ratio.  All areas available for storage were optimized, but quite a large central trunk discharge facility resulted including 500 feet of 10’ x 5’ box culvert which freed up space for additional parking and a building expansion.

This work involved several permits from US Army Corps of Engineers and Virginia DEQ for impacts to 404 wetlands and waters of the United States. As a result of this effort, CRMC’s stormwater system meets current regulations and has a stormwater management plan to support future expansion of this critical healthcare facility.

  • As with all stormwater modeling, a significant part of the effort was identifying and surveying dozens of pipes, structures and other system elements and identifying catchment limits and characteristics.
  • The PCSWMM model was updated and refined to better represent existing conditions.
  • Numerous runs followed, to evaluate various pond expansion configurations, trunk culvert sizes, etc.
  • The final model, including 10, 50 and 100-year runs, was submitted to and approved by the City of Chesapeake’s Department of Development & Permits, followed by preparation of construction plans for the trunk facilities and expanded BMP.  We also assisted in obtaining of permits for construction and wetlands impacts.  Oversight of the construction of the trunk stormwater facilities and expanded BMP was performed by our in-house staff along with the City inspector.