District launches CHA inspection after stormwater backup floods cafeteria; long-term fixes may require cisterns and permitting

Facilities supervisor Jessica Dina told the committee that the North building has experienced flooding because stormwater piping beneath and around the building may be compromised and the downstream township system may be undersized to handle recent high‑intensity storms. “Stormwater piping exiting the building may be undersized for the volume of water generated during significant rain events,” Dina said, and she described how water can back up and flood interior spaces such as part of the cafeteria and an adjacent hallway.

Dina said the district is working with CHA to perform camera inspections and flow calculations to identify collapsed, deteriorated or obstructed pipe segments and to determine capacity needs. “They are getting 2 prices to camera on the existing stormwater system beneath the, beneath the school and, the surrounding area. And, they are also doing, flow calcs for the amount of water that is coming off the roof and knowing how much water capacity that we need,” Dina said. Board members asked whether water was stormwater (not sanitary sewage); staff clarified the lines are stormwater and are separate from sanitary systems.

Staff described short‑term mitigations already in place (temporary barriers at inlets, additional shop vacs and squeegees, cameras and sensors in vulnerable closets, extra dehumidifiers and ripped carpet replaced with VCT in offices). They also discussed possible long‑term options including replacing run‑out piping, rerouting to a central cistern adjacent to the sports fields or adding above‑ground detention; staff cautioned that permitting could take nine to 12 months and that cost estimates were still preliminary.

Multiple board members pressed for a timeline; staff said CHA’s engineers were preparing quotes for inspections and that a clearer timeline should be available the following week. The committee requested a future presentation from CHA once the camera work and flow calculations are complete.