$900K drainage upgrade coming to Daniel Island’s Governors Park soccer fields

DANIEL ISLAND, S.C. (WCSC) — Daniel Island’s Governors Park is getting a $900,000 drainage makeover to solve a persistent problem.

Daniel Island’s Governors Park is one of the community’s most-used recreation spots, and for good reason. From weekend soccer games to morning jogs and pickup play, it’s a hub for residents. But all that action has created a challenge: soggy fields that can’t recover quickly, especially during rainy seasons.

“It is my go-to spot,” resident Doug Majewski said. “I live around the island, and whenever I can get up here, I love the exercise and I love being outside.”

“It is my go-to spot,” Daniel Island resident Doug Majewsk said. “I live around the island and whenever I can get up here, I love the exercise and I love being outside.”

Still, wet fields can quickly put play on pause.

“If it’s a little bit wet and soggy, we’re going to tear up the field… so we don’t want to be out here in the first place,” Majewski said.

To address the issue, the city of Charleston is investing nearly $900,000 in a drainage improvement project focused solely on the soccer fields at Governors Park.

Beth Brownlee, assistant director of capital projects for the city of Charleston, said the issue isn’t just rainfall, but it’s wear and tear from extended use. When the fields were originally built, they did not have lighting. Now that lights have been installed, play continues later into the evenings, increasing overall traffic and compacting the soil.

“One of the issues that we have is that during rainy seasons, those fields can’t recover the way that they normally would, especially given the additional use,” Brownlee said. “This project will give extended use to this needed facility.”

The solution involves installing a system of 50-mm HDPE perforated pipes, spaced 14 feet apart and buried 16 inches. The pipes will collect water beneath the turf and move it away from the field more efficiently.

“Everything that we’re installing is underground,” Brownlee said. “But what this does is it allows us to have a quicker play. Instead of completely demoing the soccer fields and doing larger pipes, this is something a little bit smaller.”

Crews will dig narrow trenches, about three inches wide, minimizing excavation and reducing restoration time.

The improvements are designed to help water drain more quickly so the turf doesn’t stay saturated after storms. Brownlee said the city has used a similar drainage system at Gadsdenboro Park, where fields have remained playable even during wet conditions.

“We want to make sure that we’re giving the community the same playable fields, whether at Daniel Island or throughout the city,” she said.

Construction is scheduled to begin in June and is expected to last up to three months, weather permitting. During that time, access will be restricted to the soccer fields only. Other areas of Governors Park will remain open.

The project will be funded entirely through the county’s general fund reserves. For Majewski and other regulars, the temporary inconvenience is worth it.

“We would be well-served to receive any type of mitigation or enhancement to support the drainage project,” he said. “Most of the neighbors I’m out here with would really appreciate that.”

Once completed, the upgrades are expected to mean fewer rainouts, quicker recovery after storms, and more time on the field for Daniel Island players of all ages.