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Contrary to their claim as “master builder”, some of Pulte’s construction looks like it came from someone who doesn’t know what they’re doing and are doing it for the first time. Stucco not mixed and applied properly. Roof truss connections with no nails, one nail, nails that miss their target, protruding nails, split wood, etc. Roofing paper cut and nails driven in a valley that result in leaks. Lagoons without embankments.
Lagoons (or stormwater detention (or treatment) ponds, as they are called in the rest of the world) are supposed to be SELF-CONTAINED. That is, stormwater runoff coming into them is supposed to be CONTROLLED (primarily through pipes), and water going out of them is supposed to be CONTROLLED through pipes or spillways in embankments. Only stormwater runoff from new construction enters and leaves CONTROLLED ponds.
Ponds are supposed to have embankments so that they will be SELF-CONTAINED. Section 5.2.4 of the Beaufort County Best Management Practices (for stormwater runoff) Manual states that an embankment for a wet-detention pond should have a 12" freeboard above water surface elevation determined by a 1 in 100 years storm event. Section 5.2.4 of the Beaufort County BMP Manual also states that the top width for a wet-detention pond embankment should be 15 feet, and the side slopes should be 3H:1V. This prevents "piping" or seepage damage.
But, some of the lagoons here, particularly those that abut woods (wetlands, or former timber areas, if you prefer), were built WITHOUT embankments between the lagoons and the woods.
............................................................................................................................................................................................Hence, these lagoons are UNCONTROLLED. Water is flowing into them that shouldn’t be. Basically, these lagoons without embankments are holes in the ground. The controlling elevation for the water surface elevation in the lagoons is NOT an outflow pipe or a rip rap spillway in an embankment, but rather the undisturbed ground in the woods at the edge of the excavation. (In some cases it appears that rip rap was placed on undisturbed ground on the rim of the hole, but THERE IS NO EMBANKMENT.)
...............................................................................................................As a result of having no embankment, water spills out of the hole into the adjacent woods. And conversely, water from the woods flows into the hole over land and through unplugged logging drainage ditches. Not only are lagoons unable to hold the water that they’re supposed to (because they aren’t SELF-CONTAINED AND CONTROLLED, and water flows into and out of the holes in an uncontrolled fashion), but also water is coming into the lagoons that isn’t supposed to be.
.................................................................................................................................And many lagoons are loaded with silt—imagine that! Having uncontrolled runoff coming into them from the woods doesn’t help that. Put lagoons in the same category as stucco, roof truss connections, leaking roofs, cracked foundations, and who knows what else: FUBAR (an old Navy term).
Where was Pulte, Beaufort County, and DHEC when these lagoons were being built? Where are they and the Property and Grounds Committee now?
Master builder? I don’t think so.
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