Storm Water & Flooding

Flood Control & Stormwater Engineering Expert Witness Services

Got a flooding claim, a drainage lawsuit, or a stormwater system that failed? You need expert answers you can trust in court. That’s where I come in. I’m Bonneau Dickson, PE, a stormwater drainage design expert. I help attorneys, insurers, and property owners find out why flooding happened. I also determine who may be responsible, and I back my conclusions with solid engineering evidence.

Who I Am

Bonneau Dickson, PE is a sanitary engineer. My career has focused on water, wastewater, and stormwater systems for years. I don’t just guess at what went wrong. Instead, I dig into design records, inspection history, and site conditions. Then I build a case that actually makes sense to judges, juries, and insurance adjusters.

What is a Flood Control Consultant, and Why Would You Need One?

A flood control consultant looks into why water ended up where it shouldn’t. Maybe it’s a flooded basement. Maybe it’s an overwhelmed detention basin. Or maybe it’s a pump station that just couldn’t keep up. I check design drawings, maintenance logs, weather data, and site grading to find the real cause.

Sometimes it’s a design flaw. Sometimes it’s deferred maintenance. Sometimes it’s an undersized pipe. Property owners, law firms, and insurance carriers may turn to this kind of review once a flooding dispute becomes a legal matter.

My Stormwater & Drainage Engineering Background

Here’s the thing: my experience isn’t limited to courtrooms. I’ve actually built and managed these systems in the field. I served as project manager on a pump station improvement project for the City of National City. I designed a stormwater pump station for the City of Burlingame, complete with submersible pumps and a standby generator.

I also prepared preliminary designs for a stormwater detention basin in Lancaster, one that doubled as fairground parking. On top of that, I ran feasibility studies on pump station upgrades for El Segundo, and I reviewed detention basin design standards for the City of Modesto. That hands-on background supports my ability to evaluate these systems from both an engineering and forensic perspective. I’ve built the systems I now investigate.

How Do I Support You as an Expert Witness?

1. Case review. I start by going through the complaint, site records, and any engineering documents available.
2. Site and data analysis. Next, I compare design standards, drainage calculations, and maintenance history against what actually happened on the ground.
3. Root cause findings. From there, I determine whether the failure traces back to design, construction, maintenance, or something unforeseeable.
4. Clear reporting. I write up my findings in plain language. No unnecessary engineering jargon, just clear facts attorneys and juries can understand.
5. Testimony. Finally, I’m ready to explain my conclusions in deposition or at trial, standing firmly behind the engineering analysis.

What Makes Me Different?

• Decades of hands-on design and management experience with pump stations, detention basins, and drainage systems
• A solid track record of turning technical findings into testimony that non-engineers can actually understand
• Real familiarity with municipal stormwater standards, built from actual project work, not just textbooks
• A straightforward, no-fluff approach to every case

What I Cover

My forensic and litigation work covers a lot of ground. That includes sewage backups, septic failures, sewer pipe breaks, pump station malfunctions, wastewater leaks, and stormwater drainage disputes. In short, if water ended up somewhere it caused damage, I can help investigate why.

Have Questions About Your Case?

Dealing with a flooding claim, a stormwater failure, or a drainage dispute? You need a real engineering opinion behind it. A stormwater pump station design expert witness can help assess the technical issues and provide a clear, credible perspective. Reach out to Bonneau Dickson, PE today at (510) 845-8625 to schedule a consultation and get a clear, credible answer to what really happened.

Frequently Asked Questions