Stormwater Drainage System Design with Jamie McCutchen, P.E. from Rymar Waterworks

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Key Points Discussed

[00:02:00] Introduction to Jamie McCutchen and Rymar Waterworks 

[00:05:00] Basics of Skimmer Basin Design   Jamie outlines the three fundamental principles: basin volume, dewatering time, and flow rate.

[00:08:00] State Standards for Sediment Basins

[00:13:00] Why Specifying Skimmer Flow Rates Matters   “If you just say ‘three-inch skimmer’ and don’t specify the flow rate, you might end up with one that flows half or double what you intended.” — Jamie McCutchen

[00:14:00] Free Skimmer Design Tools from Rymar   Jamie walks through their web-based tool to help engineers specify acceptable flow ranges and choose the right skimmer.

[00:21:00] Good vs. Bad Skimmer Installations

[00:23:00] Using Skimmers for Post-Construction   “If we’re pulling water from the surface during construction, which is cleaner, why not do that post-construction too?” — Jamie McCutchen

[00:28:00] Modeling Skimmers in HydroFlow

[00:32:00] Filtration-Based Water Quality Design   Jamie introduces a two-stage filtration skimmer system designed to handle flow up to the two-year storm event and tested to ASTM standards.

[00:38:00] Benefits of Skimmer + Filtration Systems   “You're treating even the smallest trickles, not just first flush volumes. And the skimmer makes filter maintenance much easier.” — Jamie McCutchen

[00:42:00] Volume-Based vs. Filtration-Based Design Comparison

[00:51:00] Summary of Results   “With the filtration skimmer system, you're reducing pond size, treating more runoff, and improving water quality.” — Jamie McCutchen

[00:53:00] The Marlee Float and Digital Sitebox

[01:00:00] The Origin of the Marlee Float   “My daughter Marlee was elbowing me all night and I couldn’t sleep. That’s when I thought of the skimmer design.” — Jamie McCutchen

 

In this episode of Stormwater World Live, host Ty speaks with Jamie McCutchen, P.E., founder of Rymar Waterworks, about the design and application of skimmers in stormwater drainage systems. Jamie explains the fundamentals of skimmer basin design for both construction and post-construction use, emphasizing the importance of flow rate specification and sharing examples from state guidelines. He introduces a new filtration-based design that improves water quality treatment by combining surface-level skimming with a two-stage filter, supported by ASTM-tested results. The discussion includes practical modeling steps using HydroFlow, tips on skimmer installation, and a comparison of filtration-based versus volume-based water quality designs. Jamie also shares the origin story behind the Marlee Float and highlights innovations like the Digital Sitebox for jobsite compliance.

The views expressed are that of the individual and do not represent the opinions of any companies past, present or future.

Connect with Jamie McCutchen:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jamiemccutchen/

Website: https://rymarwaterworks.com/

 

Connect with Ty Garmon, LEED AP: 

Connect with Ty on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tygarmon/

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