We’re excited to announce that Nitsch’s work on the Dominion Energy Castlewood Stormwater Infrastructure Improvement Project has been recognized with an Honor Award from the American Council of Engineering Companies of Metropolitan Washington (ACEC/MW) as part of the 2025-2026 Engineering Excellence Award Gala, held on December 16, 2025.
Located on a 31-acre active utility operations yard in Richmond, Virginia, the Castlewood facility faced decades of infrastructure deterioration, stormwater noncompliance, and erosion impacting both operations and the surrounding residential community. Stormwater runoff from more than 13 acres of impervious surface discharged untreated into Grindall Creek, creating environmental, regulatory, and safety challenges.
As prime civil engineer, we partnered with Dominion Energy to reimagine the site as a model for resilient, sustainable industrial infrastructure. The project integrated a comprehensive stormwater treatment train (including a 117-by-170-foot underground detention system, off-line stormwater filtration, hydrodynamic separation, and a concrete level spreader), paired with stream restoration along Grindall Creek. A custom outlet control structure was designed to allow safe, repeatable water-quality sampling by Dominion staff, an innovation in industrial settings.
Subsurface Detention Facility
How it works: Stormwater piped underground from the gutter downspouts to the retention system. Stormwater is stored until it can be slowly released into the ground below the chambers. Typically it is released into the ground within 72 hours of a rain storm.
Benefits:
- Provides groundwater recharge
- Reduces downstream flooding and protects stream bank integrity
- Helps preserve the natural water balance of the site
- Provides runoff pollution control when properly designed and maintained
The complexity of the project was heightened by mid-design FEMA floodplain revisions, multi-agency permitting, and the need to maintain uninterrupted operations at a critical materials storage facility. Through close coordination with Dominion and the construction team, what was initially planned as seven construction phases was consolidated into three, minimizing disruption while maintaining regulatory compliance and operational continuity.
Completed in 2025, the Castlewood project became the first industrial facility in the nation to achieve U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) SITES Pre-Certification, demonstrating that sustainability and green infrastructure principles can extend beyond parks and campuses into heavy-use industrial environments. In addition to improving water quality and reducing flooding risk, the project enhanced worker safety, protected adjacent neighborhoods, and established a replicable model for resilient utility infrastructure nationwide.
“The Castlewood project demonstrates how innovative engineering can balance operational needs, environmental stewardship, and community protection. We are proud to partner with Dominion Energy on a project that raises the bar for resilient industrial infrastructure.”
Matthew T. Brassard, PE, Vice President and Mid-Atlantic Regional Manager
This ACEC/MW Honor Award recognizes the project’s engineering excellence, innovation, and meaningful social, environmental, and economic impact.