Heavy rainfall can overwhelm drainage systems flooding homes, roads, and school campuses. At The Masters School, stormwater runoff has created drainage challenges that the school plans to address over the next two years.
According to the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC), New York has experienced an above-average number of days with at least two inches of precipitation since 1995. The frequency of these events has also increased statewide since 1950, peaking between 2010 and 2014.
Masters sits on a hill that creates particular challenges. Dan Pereira, director of operations, said rainwater flows downhill across campus through fields and along both sides of the quad. The area above Renion Hill and around the Fonseca Center is especially vulnerable to water that does not
enter the drains.
“We have two kinds of problems,” Pereira said. He continued, “We have too much water in our drains for the village to keep up with our water, and then we also have some water that we need to contain.”
Pereira notes that unpredictable rainfall makes flood prevention difficult because engineers must account for soil type, rainfall volume, surface materials and drainage capacity.
Flooding also affects residents throughout Westchester County. Viviana Rolston ‘28, who has lived in the county for 16 years, because it sits at the bottom of a hill.
“My house kind of always floods, especially my basement,” Rolston said.
During particularly heavy rain, her family has to board up the basement and use towels to manage the water. Rolston also recalled flooding on the Saw Mill River Parkway, which she uses to get to school, leading to infrastructure improvements.
In January 2023, New York State announced the completion of a $38 million project to replace two bridges over the Saw Mill River in Pleasantville, including the stabilization of a 1.3-mile stretch of a roadway.
Rolston added that schools should consider the difficulties students from flood-prone areas may face when commuting during severe weather, particularly when flooding blocks roads and delays commutes. As heavy rainfall continues to challenge drainage systems across Westchester, projects planned for the next two years at Masters could help the school better manage water on campus and beyond.
