BJ’s Wholesale East Rutherford, NJ

Branca Properties has been the owner of the BJ’s East Rutherford property since the property was originally developed in the early 1980s. As the surrounding area has been developed and yearly rainfall has intensified, the property has been plagued with flooding. The flooding has been most severe within Dubois Street, which is a public street. The stormwater system from Dubois Street traverses the BJ’s property to discharge into Berry’s Creek. For years the site has been operating with temporary diesel pumps to pump out the street and parking lot during most storm events.

Branca Properties approached SESI to design a stormwater system to reduce the flooding on the property and on Dubois Street. SESI developed multiple conceptual plans; however, the low elevation of the site and shallow groundwater limited the options. Ultimately, SESI designed a stormwater pump system that conveys the stormwater runoff from Dubois Street, parking lot, and potions of the building roof to dual submersible pumps. The pumps then discharge the water to a stilling basin adjacent to the creek. The purpose of the stilling basin is to slow down the flow of water exiting the pump and discharge it into the creek at a rate that would reduce the potential for erosion. The pump system has proven to keep the parking lot and Dubois Street dry during regular rain events.

As SESI began working on this project, the scope began to grow. In the end SESI designed a retaining wall along the creek to repair a failing slope, a new gas station, and various other site improvements. SESI provided site, geotechnical, environmental, and geostructural engineering services for this project. As part of these services, SESI obtained the following permits: NJSEA, NJDEP Waterfront Development Permit (WDP), Freshwater Wetland General Permit (GP) 20 Equivalency Permit when the USA Army Corps of Engineers (USACOE) took jurisdiction of the ditch, and a Nationwide Permit for the USACOE to authorize the activity.