Drainage from Highways and Other Paved Areas: Methods of Collection, Disposal and Treatment

Abstract

ABSTRACTDrainage of surface water from paved areas has been a fundamental part of urban planning and highway design for more than 100 years, and many aspects have changed little during this time. However, there have been recent developments in awareness of the need to treat potential pollution from paved surface runoff, as well as the need for flow attenuation and for water quality monitoring. A product of this increased awareness has been the conversion of vegetative treatment systems, traditionally designed to treat domestic and industrial wastewaters, to the treatment of paved surface runoff. The use of vegetative treatment systems for this purpose is as yet relatively untested. This paper therefore provides a brief review of the engineering methods for the collection, transport and treatment of paved surface runoff. It then goes on to describe the different types of vegetative treatment systems which are available, their value and role, and appropriate situations for their use. Finally, consideration is given to the need to monitor the efficiency of these systems in order to establish their effectiveness, and a description is given of monitoring methods which may be appropriate.