Conceptualizing a decentralized stormwater treatment system for an urbanized city with improper stormwater drainage facilities

Abstract

Urbanization involving replacement of previous areas with impervious surfaces and drainage channel modifications results in increased runoff volume leading to flooding and also in deteriorating the quality of the stormwater runoff. An effective and efficient stormwater management is needed in the urban areas for mitigating the impacts and overcoming the problems associated with the urban stormwater. An attempt has been made in the present study to investigate the relationships between stormwater quality and five different land uses for the Patiala city of Punjab State. Stormwater samples collected from these locations, between April 2010 and March 2011, were analyzed for various organic and inorganic water quality parameters and heavy metals. Inter-parameter relationships studied provided vital information in deciding upon the treatment units most likely to be suitable for that particular sub-watershed. Multiple regression modeling helped in assessment of water quality parameters and predicting the quality well before actually analyzing the parameters and thus aided in developing treatment schemes suitable for taking care of the stormwater quality even under worst set of conditions. The outcomes of the research study effectively contributed toward conceptualizing a decentralized stormwater treatment system that would be capable of coping with the stormwater runoff-associated problems faced by the city and can serve as a model for other under-developed and developing cities having improper stormwater management facilities.