Officials consider using Leechburg stormwater system to help with potential runoff from turf field

Officials working on renovations to Leechburg’s Veterans Memorial Stadium said they will explore connecting an artificial turf field drainage system to the borough’s storm sewer system to help alleviate water runoff.

The decision came after Leechburg Council voiced concerns about the impact the field could have on flooding problems in the neighborhood.

One resident “has come to a significant number of council meetings about the water. That’s been historical,” borough Solicitor James Favero said.

Project officials, members of the Leechburg Area School Board and Superintendent Tiffany Nix attended Tuesday’s council meeting to present the district’s plan for the stadium renovations, which include installing an artificial turf field, a track and other upgrades.

The borough owns the property where the field and adjoining practice field are located between Veterans and Wesley avenues.

The school district has a 99-year lease with the borough to use the property.

Project manager Al Winkler said a conversation with borough engineer Shane Michael of Senate Engineering led to the idea to connect the field drainage system to the storm sewer system at the intersection of Logan and Wesley avenues.

“That way we’ll alleviate a lot of what’s going … to that gully across the street of Veterans,” said Winkler, a landscape architect for the civil engineering and land development firm J.R. Gales and Associates.

The drainage system would consist of gravel beneath the field and a series of drainage pipes underneath the field and the track. Some water would be absorbed into the ground. The rest would go into the storm sewer system.

Favero asked Michael if connecting the two systems would help address the water issues. Potentially yes, Michael said.

“A percentage of that water will go into the existing storm system,” Michael said.

Initial bids for the stadium project and renovations to the West Leechburg softball field came in at $1.96 million — about $340,000 over the project cost. That prompted the board to reject the first bids and rebid the project in January.

The board received the rebids this week and will discuss them at their meeting next Wednesday, Feb. 26, officials said.

Another issue surrounding the renovations is the size of the track. Some school board members advocated building a bigger track suitable for hosting competition track meets. If the district decides to do that, it would have to renegotiate its lease with the borough.

Board President Neill Brady said the board will be able to make a more firm decision on the size of the track once they review the bids.

“After we get monies on it, it will help us decide what to do,” Brady said. “Until then, there’s no decisions to be made.”

Michael said a smaller track could also help with the drainage issues.

“If the track is smaller, and it’s a smaller drainage area that they’re going to be draining from, that will reduce the amount of water that ultimately goes into that drainage ditch,” Michael said.