Graphical Sizing of Small Single-Outlet Detention Basins in the Semiarid Southwest

A graphical procedure is presented for sizing single-outlet detention basins to control stormwater runoff from small catchments in the semiarid southwestern United States. The approach relies on the modified rational method to provide the catchment runoff hydrograph, a linearized relation between basin water depth and storage volume, and a rainfall-intensity-duration equation for which coefficients can be found easily for any location covered by NOAA Atlas 14, Volume 1 (Arizona, Southeast California, Nevada, New Mexico, and Utah). Numerical solutions of a dimensionless form of the differential detention storage continuity equation are carried out, and solution values are related to a dimensionless discharge coefficient that provides a comprehensive characterization of catchment hydrology, outlet structure type and size, and regional precipitation. Graphs that supply dimensionless values of the maximum peak outflow rate from a basin, the maximum storage volume, and the critical storm duration (that is, the storm duration that produces the peak outflow and maximum storage volume) are prepared from the numerical solutions. The method avoids repetitive calculations and provides accurate solutions rapidly in an uncomplicated way for small catchments of about 12 ha or less with times of concentration less than about 30 min.     

Design of Two-Layered Porous Landscaping Detention Basin

Under the mandate of the Federal Clean Water Act, porous landscaping detention (PLD) has been widely used to increase on-site infiltration. A PLD system consists of a surface storage basin and subsurface filtering layers. The major design parameters for a PLD system are the infiltration rate on the land surface and the seepage rate through the subsurface medium. A low infiltration rate leads to a sizable storage basin while a high infiltration rate results in standing water if the subsurface seepage does not sustain the surface loading. In this study, the design procedure of a PLD basin is revised to take both detention flow hydrology and seepage flow hydraulics into consideration. The design procedure begins with the basin sizing according to the on-site water quality control volume. The ratio of design infiltration rate to sand-mix hydraulic conductivity is the key factor to select the thickness of sand-mix layer underneath a porous bed. The total filtering thickness for both sand-mix and gravel layers is found to be related to the drain time and infiltration rate. The recommended sand-mix and granite gravel layers underneath a PLD basin are reproduced in the laboratory for infiltration tests. The empirical decay curve for sand-mix infiltration rate was derived from the laboratory data and then used to maximize the hydraulic efficiency through the subsurface filtering layers. In this study, it is recommended that a PLD system be designed with the optimal performance to consume the hydraulic head available and then evaluated using the prolonged drain time for potential standing water problems under various clogging conditions.     

Fines Accumulation and Distribution in a Storm-Water Rain Garden Nine Years Postconstruction

Storm water control measures (SCMs), also known as best management practices (BMPs), such as rain gardens, are designed to infiltrate storm-water runoff and reduce pollutant transport to surface waters. The life span of these SCMs may be limited depending on the composition of sediments in runoff water. Settling of fine sediments may clog soil pore spaces, reducing the infiltration capacity of the soil and reducing the potential benefits of this SCM. A study was conducted on a Villanova campus rain garden that accepts runoff from an adjacent parking lot to determine if there was a relationship between the accumulation of fine sediments over time and the infiltration capacity. The soil textural profile within the rain garden was characterized prior to SCM installation (2001), after installation, after five years, and after seven years of receiving storm-water runoff. Infiltration data were collected by the single-ring infiltrometer method in 2006 and 2009. Differences in soil texture were found between locations within the infiltration basin, and accumulation of fines smaller than 0.1 mm was observed at both locations sampled in 2009. Infiltration rates were significantly different between the two locations measured within the rain garden, but infiltration rates did not change significantly over time within those regions. This SCM was designed at a 10:1 watershed to SCM area ratio, which is twice what is recommended by the PA DEP BMP Manual. The data collected over the seven years since installation indicate that while fines have accumulated in the SCM there has been no significant change in infiltration potential.     

Thermal Reduction by an Underground Storm-Water Detention System

Increases in stream temperatures by heated storm-water runoff from impervious surfaces are a serious environmental problem. An underground detention with slow-release facility is a versatile storm-water best management practice (BMP) for buffering high flows. Temperature reductions in underground storm-water storage BMPs, however, have not been quantified. A field study on an underground detention BMP located in Maryland was undertaken to characterize its effect on storm-water runoff temperatures. In colder months, when the runoff temperature ranged from 5 to 15°C, small or no temperature change was observed. Runoff produced during summer storm events, however, with event mean temperatures over 20°C, exhibited mean temperature reductions of 1.6°C through the BMP. While statistically significant, the reductions were not sufficient to cool the summer runoff discharges below the Maryland Class III temperature standard (20°C) 100% of the time. The results indicate that underground facilities can moderate high runoff temperatures, but that more efficient designs are needed for heat transfer.     

Predictions of Resuspension of Highway Detention Pond Deposits in Interrain Event Periods due to Wind-Induced Currents and Waves

The paper presents a numerical study of resuspension of deposits from highway detention ponds based on a previous experimental study. The resuspension process is evaluated in dry weather periods with baseflow/infiltration flow through the ponds only. The resuspension is caused by the bed-shear stress induced by the return flow near the bed and waves both generated by the wind. Wind statistics for 30 years have been applied for prediction of the annual discharged bulk of suspended solids and associated pollutants; fluoranthene, benzo(b)fluoranthene, benzo(k)fluoranthene, benzo(a)pyrene, dibenzo(a,h)anthracene and indeno(1,2,3-cd)pyrene (PAHs) and the heavy metals of cadmium, chromium, copper, lead, nickel, and zinc. The current and wave-generated bed-shear stresses entail a discharged bulk of pollutants corresponding to approximately 10% of the annual accumulation of pollutants in the present pond due to the baseflow in the pond. The mean outlet concentration of suspended solids is well correlated with the wind speed. To reduce the resuspension of deposited materials, two mechanisms are prevailing; either by increase of the water depth of the pond to minimize the effect of the wind in the near-bed region or by reduction of the wind to some degree. The most efficient action for reducing the wind impact on the shallow waters is the establishment of shelterbelts as known from the agriculture. Just a 20% reduction of the yearly wind speeds will reduce the outlet mass with 70% and a 50% reduction with almost 100%. A 50% reduction of the wind speed is far from impossible to achieve with relatively small investments.     

Multiyear and Seasonal Variation of Infiltration from Storm-Water Best Management Practices

Reduction of storm-water volumes through infiltration is becoming a commonly applied practice in the effort to mitigate the negative hydrologic impacts commonly associated with land development. The hydrologic impacts generally include increases in both the volume and peak flow rate of runoff along with an associated decrease in groundwater recharge. Infiltration best management practices (BMPs) are the foundation of many low impact development and Green infrastructure practices. As the movement to volume reduction is a relatively recent concept, there remains a lack of detailed long-term monitoring data to support the implementation of storm-water infiltration BMPs. Two storm-water infiltration BMPs on the campus of Villanova University located in Southeastern Pennsylvania have been continuously monitored to determine the long-term and seasonal variation related to the engineered infiltration of storm-water runoff. The analysis of continuous monitoring data indicates that both BMPs show considerable seasonal variation but exhibit no evidence of a systematic decrease in performance to date. The seasonal variation of the BMPs is explained primarily by the temperature dependency of the viscosity of water.     

Comparison of BMP Performance Using the International BMP Database

This paper explores the performance and relative pollutant removal of several common best management practices (BMPs) using data contained in the International Stormwater BMP Database. These BMPs include retention (wet) ponds, extended detention basins, vegetated swales, and sand filters. Although the database contains numerous studies with varying amounts of detail, this comparison is based on the performance of only those sites with reported basic design characteristics and water quality data (event mean concentrations) so that constituent concentrations can be accurately determined and related to the design of the individual BMP. The use of selected BMPs has a number of advantages. Some of the variability in performance observed for facilities of a specific type can be explained by differences in design and/or watershed characteristics; consequently, the expected performance for a given set of conditions can be predicted more accurately. In addition, the differences in performance among BMP types for a given set of conditions can also be established with a higher degree of certainty. The principle measure for comparing the performance between the selected BMPs is their discharge quality, which was found to be a function of the influent concentrations for many constituents. A comparison of the discharge quality as a function of the concentration in untreated runoff demonstrates substantial differences in performance among these BMPs for many constituents.     

Evaluation of Storm-Water Wetlands in Series in Piedmont North Carolina

Three storm-water wetlands in series were monitored in a heavily urbanized 12.5 ha watershed in Mooresville, North Carolina. Monitoring of this system allowed an examination of the diminishing returns provided by three successive best management practices (BMPs) of a similar type. At least 80% of the total concentration reduction for all pollutants occurred within the first wetland cell. Only the first wetland cell significantly (p<0.05) reduced all pollutants tested. No pollutant was significantly reduced from the outlet of Wetland Cell 2 to the outlet of Wetland Cell 3 (p<0.05). Median complete system (outlet of Wetland Cell 3) effluent concentrations for total suspended solids, total phosphorus, total nitrogen, and turbidity were 8, 0.09, 0.73 mg/L, and 10 NTU, respectively, which compared favorably to published results. Organic nitrogen generated from wetland vegetation seemed to result in a background source of nitrogen in the wetlands, supporting the idea of an irreducible concentration for nitrogen in these systems. The results indicate that the successive BMPs in a series do not perform as well as the first when each BMP uses similar removal mechanisms.     

Waste-Incorporated Subbase for Porous Landscape Detention Basin Design

Porous landscape detention basins (PLDBs) capture and filter storm water while taking advantage of the intrinsic quality of plants to act as water treatment systems. A two-layered subbase filtering medium is recommended for building PLDBs. The current design method creates the opportunity for incorporating waste symbiosis. In this study, the beneficial reuse of mixing urban waste stream materials into the subbase filtering media is identified. Based on the waste screening tests conducted in this study, three mixes were selected and examined for their leaching and clogging potentials over the years of service. They are (1)?peat-sand mix, (2)?compost-paper-sand mix, and (3)?compost-paper-sand-tire mix. Laboratory tests showed no significant differences among these three mixes in infiltration capacity and leaching contents of nutrients, pathogens, and total metals. Subbase clogging tests were also conducted for these three mixes using sample storm water. The decay of clogged infiltration rate was measured as the sediment load was accumulated on and through the filtering layer using the selected mix. Three empirical formulas were derived to predict the clogging effect for these three waste-incorporated mixes. Using the recommended threshold infiltration rate of 2.5??cm/h, the life spans of these three mixes were assessed for an example PLDB built in the field. Based on a bench-scale test of dynamic infiltration rates, the waste-incorporated mix is predicted to reduce the clogging potential of PLDB by approximately 20% compared with the currently recommended mix using peat and sand. However, shredded tires were also found to float in water and can be washed out of the basin during overflow events. Based on environmental benefits, construction cost, material availability, and life-span potential, the subbase mix using compost, paper, and sand is recommended for PLDB designs.     

Development of Storm-Water Management Design Criteria to Maintain Geomorphic Stability in Kansas City Metropolitan Area Streams

Fifty-three years of historical precipitation data were applied to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Storm Water Management Model (SWMM) to conduct hydrologic and hydraulic simulations, generating continuous stream flow hydrographs in the receiving stream channels. On-site BMP and regional detention criteria were selected to allow postdevelopment replication of predevelopment peak flow frequency exceedance curves and the critical portions of shear stress duration curves. Instream continuous stage data generated by SWMM were used to examine erosion potential through the use of an erosion potential index. Coarse stream bed material were found to be less sensitive to changes in erosion potential due to urbanization, and extended detention ponds designed for flood control and water quality treatment were effective in reducing erosion potential. These controls were less effective in reducing erosion potential of fine loam bed material, indicating reductions of runoff volumes are required to minimize increases in channel erosion. Findings indicate that regional analysis based on local hydrologic and geomorphic characteristics are necessary to identify appropriate storm-water control requirements.     

Prediction of Effluent Quality from Retention Ponds and Constructed Wetlands for Managing Bacterial Stressors in Storm-Water Runoff

Microbial indicator organisms make up the greatest number of reported receiving water impairments, resulting in many questions on the fate of indicator bacteria passing through storm-water best management practices (BMPs). Storm-water BMPs are often considered effective tools to mitigate the effects of urbanization on receiving waters. The USEPA’s, Office of Research and Development investigated the processes occurring within two commonly used BMPs, constructed wetlands and retention ponds. This research focused on creating pilot-scale systems to determine the environmental mechanisms that affect effluent indicator bacteria concentrations and to provide better information for the prediction of bacterial indicators for models when developing and meeting total maximum daily loads. Research results indicate water temperature, light, and a combination of other environmental factors influence bacteria indicator concentrations. Results from this research suggest that both constructed wetlands and retention ponds lower microbial concentrations in urban storm-water runoff. Bacteria inactivation generally followed the first-order, KC* model, which includes irreducible or background concentrations of a stressor. Sediment analyses indicate bacteria accumulated in sediments which may maintain background concentrations could be reintroduced into the effluent of these BMPs by turbulent flow causing resuspension or by accumulation through lack of maintenance. First-order models that do not consider irreducible concentrations may underestimate actual bacterial concentrations. The relationship between turbidity and bacteria suggests storm-water management practices that substantially reduce turbidity may also provide the greatest improvement in reducing concentrations of bacteria in storm-water runoff.     

Reducing Detention Volumes with Improved Outlet Structure

To reduce required detention volume, a detention basin outlet structure (DBOS) was tested that can control the maximum allowable outlet discharge rate independent of the upstream driving head. Unlike traditional outlet control structures, such as culverts, orifices, and weirs, whose maximum discharge represents a single point in time on the outflow hydrograph, the DBOS can discharge at the maximum allowable discharge for an extended period of time, thus reducing the required detention volume. Data are presented and methods discussed regarding techniques for altering the head–discharge characteristics of the DBOS in order to meet various head–discharge requirements.     

Simulation of the Performance of a Storm-Water BMP

Vegetated storage-infiltration best management practices (BMPs) have become an increasingly popular means of attenuating and treating runoff from developed land. However, the hydrologic and pollutant removal performances of these facilities can be highly variable. A mathematical model of an idealized BMP was developed in order to quantify the impact of variable hydrologic and pollutant concentration input on BMP performance by simulating the treatment performance of the model system during 1,250 non-steady-state storm events generated based on historic Maryland rainfall data. The model BMP was effective in attenuating volume (42% total volume reduction) and peak flow (median peak output to peak input flow ratio was 0.058). The simulated mean effluent pollutant event mean concentration was much less than the influent (0.284 compared with 1.51 mg/L) and the overall mass load reduction was 92%. However, the performance parameters demonstrated significant variability. Consequently, the results suggest a need to incorporate into BMP performance guidelines the impact of the variable influent hydrologic and pollutant concentration characteristics. Emphasis should be placed on discharge water quality and statistical distributions rather than on single-percent removal values.     

Storm-Water Management Using Street Sweeping

Although street sweeping is commonly regarded as a cost-effective storm-water best management practice, there is little quantitative evidence that street sweeping directly improves runoff water quality. In this paper, several previous street sweeping studies were reevaluated using statistical power analysis. Two-group, independent-sample one-sided t-test power analyses were performed using log-transformed event mean concentrations (EMCs) of total suspended solids, suspended sediment concentration or chemical oxygen demand. The effect size between the two groups was estimated using the sweepers’ pickup efficiency, which showed that the failure to detect the difference between mean EMCs of the two sample groups (i.e., unswept and swept groups) is likely due to limited sample numbers. Too few samples, which also resulted in a high coefficient of variation, were analyzed to detect the likely difference between swept and unswept observations. In addition, the temporal gap between street sweeping and subsequent storm events was not controlled to improve statistical power.     

Incentive Index Developed to Evaluate Storm-Water Low-Impact Designs

In practice, the challenge of storm-water low-impact-development (LID) design is often related to how to quantify the effectiveness of a LID layout. In this study, the watershed imperviousness was chosen as a basis to evaluate the performances of various LID designs. Often, LID designs apply cascading planes to drain the runoff flow from the upstream impervious area to the downstream pervious area. In this study, the conventional area-weighting method is revised with a pavement-area-reduction factor (PARF) to produce the effective imperviousness. PARF is employed as an incentive index to quantify the on-site runoff volume reduction and cost savings from downsized sewers. Two sets of PARF are derived: conveyance-based and storage-based LID designs. The conveyance-based LID approach is to drain runoff flows on various porous surfaces while the storage-based LID approach is to temporarily store runoff flows in an on-site basin. For a specified LID layout, the PARF provides a consistent basis to translate the infiltration and storage effects into the reduction on the area-weighted imperviousness. The nondimensional governing equation derived in this paper indicates that the PARF depends on the ratio of the soil infiltration rate to rainfall intensity, the ratio of receiving pervious area to upstream impervious area, and the on-site storm-water storage capacity. The PARF serves as a basis for the engineers, planners, and/or developers to select a LID design and also for regulatory agencies to assess meritorious credits for cost savings.     

Utility of Suspended Solid Measurements for Storm-Water Runoff Treatment

In this paper alternative solutions are presented to solve problems associated with the measurement of total suspended solids (TSS) in storm-water runoff. Results revealed that the accuracy of TSS measurement is largely related to sample representativeness, particle size distribution (PSD), sampling pipette position, and sample mixing. In general, when the PSD in the runoff was mostly larger than 75?μm, the most accurate and reproducible results were obtained when samples were collected from a position of mid-depth and midway between the walls of the beaker and the vortex and mixed at speeds in the range of 600–700?rpm. For runoff samples with a PSD smaller than 75?μm, mixing at a higher rpm is not a significant factor. As long as the PSD in the TSS subsample is representative of the original sample, a strong correlation between TSS and suspended solid concentration can be achieved. The results showed that density was largely correlated with the organic content of the particles, and, in general, smaller particles tended to have a lower density. The density results revealed that assuming a single sand size density of 2.6?g/cm3 for storm-water runoff produced a large error in the computation of sediment load and particle settling velocity.     

Establishing Storm-Water BMP Evaluation Metrics Based upon Ambient Water Quality Associated with Benthic Macroinvertebrate Populations

Storm-water experts agree that the currently used best management practice (BMP) percent removal methodology metric has many flaws, and some have suggested using a BMP effluent concentration metric. This case study examines establishing an effluent target concentration for BMPs that relates to the health of macroinvertebrates in the receiving water. In North Carolina, 193 ambient water quality monitoring stations were paired with benthic macroinvertebrate health ratings collected in very close proximity. Water quality for the sites ranged from excellent to poor and was divided into three distinct ecoregions: Mountain, Piedmont, and Coastal. Statistically significant relationships were found in one or more ecoregions for dissolved oxygen, fecal coliform, NH3, NO2?3?N, total Kjeldahl nitrogen, total nitrogen (TN), and total phosphorus (TP). BMPs can then be selected and designed to meet these target effluent concentrations. Based upon this research, a development, and therefore set of BMPs, in Piedmont North Carolina could be required to release TN and TP effluent concentrations of 0.99 mg/L and 0.11 mg/L, respectively. These concentrations are both associated with “good” benthos health. The new method was most effective in the Piedmont ecoregion, however with more data collection, the Mountain and Coastal ecoregions may also benefit.     

Heavy Metal and PAH Concentrations in Highway Runoff Deposits Fractionated on Settling Velocities

The correlation between settling velocity and associated pollutant concentrations is of major importance for best management practice in designing, redesigning, or evaluation of the efficiency of existing pond facilities for retaining unwanted pollutants. The prospect of this note is to state the relationship between the settling velocity of the runoff particles and the corresponding metal and polyaromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) concentration directly instead of dealing with two unknowns—the density and the shape of a single particle fraction in a settling velocity calculations. The measurements show that the highest cadmium, chromium, zinc, and nickel concentrations is associated with the most slowly falling particles and the lowest concentration associated within the faster falling fraction. This tendency is not clear for some of the sediments due to high content of organic matter and clearly not for lead and copper and there is no significant correlation between PAH concentration and settling velocity. The largest mass of metals and PAH within each pond can be found on the particle fraction with a settling velocity of 5.5–2.5 mm/s.     

Effects of Stormwater Infiltration on Quality of Groundwater Beneath Retention and Detention Basins

Infiltration of storm water through detention and retention basins may increase the risk of groundwater contamination, especially in areas where the soil is sandy and the water table shallow, and contaminants may not have a chance to degrade or sorb onto soil particles before reaching the saturated zone. Groundwater from 16 monitoring wells installed in basins in southern New Jersey was compared to the quality of shallow groundwater from 30 wells in areas of new-urban land use. Basin groundwater contained much lower levels of dissolved oxygen, which affected concentrations of major ions. Patterns of volatile organic compound and pesticide occurrence in basin groundwater reflected the land use in the drainage areas served by the basins, and differed from patterns in background samples, exhibiting a greater occurrence of petroleum hydrocarbons and certain pesticides. Dilution effects and volatilization likely decrease the concentration and detection frequency of certain compounds commonly found in background groundwater. High recharge rates in storm water basins may cause loading factors to be substantial even when constituent concentrations in infiltrating storm water are relatively low.     

Generalized Numerical Solution for Detention Basin Design

A particularly useful generalized numerical solution for detention basin design is presented and sets the stage for practical applications for roof detention and the rationale and use of such a solution for detention basin design more generally. The generalized numerical solution provides results that can be applied to practical problems in certain cases and demonstrates the general importance of storm duration. The method utilizes a trapezoidal inflow hydrograph, which includes the important effect of storm duration based on the modified rational method. Convenient charts are presented to display the relationship between the variables. The derivation provides the basis for specializing the method to provide generalized curves applicable to storage detention on roofs. Although the results presented herein are more generalized than those presented by other writers, certain other methods are shown to compare favorably for special cases. An added perspective is provided on some of those other methods. Soil Conservation Service TR-55 curves are included in the comparisons, which demonstrates their limitations. An example demonstrates application of the generalized curves.