In the world of stormwater management, collaboration is key to delivering effective, sustainable solutions. This past October, we highlighted how well a project comes together when we have a close working relationship with the customer. As 2024 comes to a close, we want to take a chance to highlight our robust partnership with two exceptional companies that make huge projects like that possible — Ferguson Waterworks, a trusted nationwide distributor of stormwater solutions, and DownStream Services, a reliable installer and maintenance provider with a dedicated stormwater division which has been helping private clients and municipalities for over 22 years to serve communities throughout California.
This year, the City of El Cajon needed to retrofit their inlets with full trash capture devices, but the issue they kept running into was finding an appropriate solution to fit the unique storm drains of the city as well as meeting California Water Board requirements. According to the team at DownStream Services, some of the instances of difficulties they faced were:
- Non-parallel catch basin structural designs.
- Most FTC devices are designed square or rectangular. Manufacturing FTC devices that will work in these scenarios require intuitive thinking in addition to a solid understanding of the manufacturing process and the device’s intended functionality.
- Non-standard inlet openings.
- Specifically grated inlets with widths or lengths that are smaller than typical storm drain structures. Inlets with these designs require the manufacturing of site-specific FTC devices, very accurate measurements, and additional communication between the installer and the manufacturer.
- Large diameter pipes with the apex of the pipe stretching up to the curb or grated inlet’s inflow.
- Large diameter pipes can limit the amount of space we have to install FTC devices on the catch basin wall (wall-mounted FTCs), as well as the catch basin floor (CPS).
- Curb inlet “wings” that end at or near the catch basin floor.
- In some cases, this can make it challenging to find the right FTC device that can capture any trash that may enter through the catch basin wing, while also capturing trash that may enter from the curb opening.
A Dynamic Distributor Relationship
Our partnership with Ferguson Waterworks has been an integral part of Fabco’s success in California. As a strategic partner, Ferguson Waterworks ensures that Fabco’s innovative stormwater filtration systems reach municipalities, engineers, and contractors efficiently. Ferguson’s extensive reach, deep knowledge of the industry, and exceptional customer service make them the perfect fit to distribute Fabco’s solutions. With their commitment to quality, reliability, and sustainability, key members of the Ferguson team like Julie Orndorff and Wes Bailey play a critical role in helping clients secure the best products for their stormwater management needs in California – and without them, we never would have connected with DownStream Services!
DownStream Services: Expert Installers and Maintenance Providers
When it comes to installation and ongoing maintenance, DownStream Services is a trusted name across California. Specializing in stormwater system installation and servicing, DownStream Services ensures that Fabco products are seamlessly integrated into existing stormwater infrastructure and remain operational for years to come. Another huge benefit of working with DownStream is their capability to provide interactive maps that municipalities can use to view project progress, data and photos from install and maintenance checks.
Their expertise guarantees that our solutions, like the Connector Pipe Screen and StormTrough, not only perform as intended but are also properly maintained to meet regulatory requirements. This commitment to excellence supports long-term success for municipalities and businesses seeking stormwater compliance and clean water outcomes.
Coming Together for El Cajon, California
To meet the city’s requirements, Fabco sent our VP of Operations, Ricardo Ryan, out to El Cajon, CA to team up with the crews at Ferguson Waterworks and DownStream Services to visit the project sites and assist with surveying inlets. With firsthand knowledge of the issues the city faced with their unique storm drains and the expertise of DownStream Services advising best install and maintenance practices, Ricardo returned to the Fabco office on Long Island with all the information necessary for our engineers to design custom fit units with better capacity and less frequent maintenance needs.
After the huge success that was the El Cajon project, where we worked together to install over 80 stormwater filters throughout the city earlier this year, the folks at DownStream Services shared their thoughts and kind words as well:
“The San Diego River Watershed Water Quality Improvement Project has been a great opportunity for Downstream Services, Inc. despite the challenges we’ve faced. The City of El Cajon has particularly unique storm drain structures and overall system designs. Due to this, we had to work diligently with the FTC device manufacturer, Fabco Industries, and their primary vendor, Ferguson Waterworks. Fortunately, Fabco, Ferguson, and Downstream Services have built a strong working relationship, and have the capability of working together to provide solutions for these extraordinary challenges.”
It feels great to highlight the true importance of working as a team and community to achieve big environmental goals as the year comes to an end, and it’s always a pleasure working with the teams at Ferguson and DownStream Services. We’re looking forward to making 2025 a big year.
Happy Holidays, and a Happy New Year!
