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Q. Is the sump Kane & Co. placed on this corner temporary or is it permanent? It seems it would be better placed out of sight farther down on the side of the new section of St. Albans Drive if it is to be permanent.

-- Harry Gribbon

A. According to Jeanette Powell, stormwater inspections and compliance supervisor for the City of Raleigh, the "sump" you are asking about is a temporary sediment basin for the North Hills East project off Six Forks Road. (There are actually two on the site, one on St. Albans and another near Dartmouth Road.)

Basins such as these are used as part of erosion and sediment control measures during the construction process. They are designed to catch soil runoff to prevent it from getting into nearby waterways.

Once the project is completed, Powell says, the basins will be converted into constructed wetlands. The wetlands' purpose is to reduce the amount of nitrogen from stormwater runoff that leaves the project site.

The wetland was mandated for this project because it is located in the Neuse River basin which, Powell says, has been identified as nutrient sensitive water. The measures have been in effect for about 10 years.

"The state has a program that requires developers to remove [some of the] nitrogen so it doesn't get into stormwater," she said.

Stormwater often carries with it an excess of nutrients; the constructed wetland model is shown to reduce the amount of nitrogen by 40 percent and phosphorus, another troublesome nutrient, by 35 percent, Powell said.

As for what the wetlands will look like, Powell said the size will roughly be the same as the outline of the basins now. The basins will be filled in, though, so they will be much more shallow.

The wetlands will probably contain various wetland plants -- which help to filter the nutrients out of the water -- and the water will meander somewhat on the property.