September 7, 2023 By Katie Roundtree

Culverts are an integral part of storm water infrastructure across Florida. These often hidden structures have shaped Florida’s landscape by creating areas for growth and development. But what is a culvert? Where are they? What do they do? In this article we will dive into the world of culverts and how they relate to Northern Palm Beach County Improvement District’s abilities to provide exceptional services to the communities we manage.

Culverts are similar to the water pipes used to provide water to a house.  Pipes underground allow water to be channeled from a water source into your home or garden. Or another example, just like our bodies, the storm water system has arteries, a heart, and flow.  Our culverts are the veins and pump stations are the hearts. If our veins are clogged our heart works harder and puts stress on the rest of our system. The same concept applies to culverts. Culverts allow storm water to move underground from place to place.  The can connect one lake to another or road drains to a lake.  They can move water from one location to another to dry out an area for development or ensure safe travel along roadways.

Several types of culverts exist and are widely used today, such as box culverts, arch culverts, and bridge culverts to name a few. The most commonly used are pipe culverts. Used for drainage or electrical routing, these tunnel-like structures are buried alongside or underneath roadways. Pipes are made using various materials such as metal, concrete or plastic and vary in length and diameter.

Many years ago, most of the existing drainage systems utilized CMP (corrugated metal pipe). However, due to fluctuating water levels these pipes often succumb to corrosion. To combat this issue, CMP pipes are replaced with HDPE (High Density Polyethylene), a plastic designed to be chemical and erosion resistant, or RCP (reinforced concrete) in a load-bearing capacity, for example under roads with heavy traffic. HDPE or concrete culverts are the best options for drainage purposes, due to their cost-effectiveness and longevity.

Culverts are designed with life spans of 30-100 years. However, due to stressors such as environmental conditions and increased usage, these systems can fail causing contamination, leaks or even sink holes. So how do we stop these potential issues? Maintenance is key! Regular inspections and cleaning help avoid disruption or costly repairs.

The staff at Northern work diligently to provide routine inspections and maintenance to our drainage systems. Inspections can be performed using cameras atop Remote Operated Vehicles (ROV) or by trained divers. If a threat to the lifespan and operation of the culvert is found, it can be remediated with cleaning or repairing.

So, what can WE do to help our communities preserve culvert systems? Keep storm drains free of debris, refrain from dumping any chemicals into the waterways and most important of all, report any areas of concern to the District. Together, we can ensure our storm water infrastructure will remain intact for years to come.

Special thanks to our Operations Supervisor – Stormwater, Greg Sale, for his contributions to this article and Kim Morgan, for drafting the article.