El Vista Drainage System Evaluation

AWC provided a comprehensive drainage system analysis and improvement design for the El Vista Subdivision area in Port Arthur, Texas. Funded through FEMA Disaster Recovery funds from Hurricane Harvey, the project addressed one of the city’s most flood-prone residential neighborhoods. Prior to improvements, the El Vista subdivision experienced repeated flooding during moderate and heavy rain events. AWC’s analysis identified system deficiencies and provided design recommendations to mitigate future flooding and reduce property damage. The final design conveyed a 25-year, 24-hour storm and included replacement of the main drainage trunk line, driveway culvert improvements, and the cleaning and regrading of roadside ditches to improve stormwater flow. Construction has been completed successfully under budget, leaving more than $2 million in remaining FEMA funds.

Working closely with the City of Port Arthur and the contractor, AWC achieved significant cost savings by implementing an alternative pavement design, minimizing change orders, and optimizing construction around existing utilities and pipelines. These savings have allowed the City to pursue a scope expansion to include additional drainage improvements along nearby roadways that outfall to the same basin, focusing on ditch cleaning and culvert replacements to further enhance stormwater capacity. Despite the challenges of working within a densely developed neighborhood and navigating underground utility conflicts, the project was completed efficiently with minimal change orders through strong coordination between AWC, the City, and the construction team.