Abstract
Combined sewer overflows (CSOs) are a concern for many cities managing stormwater through combined sewer systems, including the District of Columbia (DC). Advanced rainwater harvesting (ARH) is an innovative approach to managing stormwater and has the potential to minimize CSOs and maximize water conservation. ARH systems use continuous monitoring and adaptive control (CMAC) technology to store or release water from a rainwater harvesting cistern. This study assessed the efficacy of ARH systems to mitigate wet weather discharges at two firehouses in DC. Continuous monitoring data was collected over a period of three years for the systems that were installed in 2012. The collected data indicates that the systems were effective at mitigating wet weather discharges, with average event harvesting rates greater than 95%. These results suggest that if implemented on a larger scale, ARH systems would be a valuable tool in effectively managing stormwater.
Highlights
The District of Columbia (DC) conveys stormwater through two types of systems: a combined sewer system (CSS) and a municipal separate storm sewer system (MS4)
We evaluated the performance of the Advanced rainwater harvesting (ARH) systems based on how much water was collected and made available for reuse, the corresponding potable water savings, and the reduction in volume of stormwater discharged to the CSS and MS4 systems during wet weather
(1) harvest water for reuse and potable water use reduction, and to (2) manage stormwater runoff to reduce discharge to the CSS and MS4 during wet weather periods when capacity is limited in these systems
Summary
The District of Columbia (DC) conveys stormwater through two types of systems: a combined sewer system (CSS) and a municipal separate storm sewer system (MS4). In a CSS, domestic sewage and stormwater runoff from rooftops, roadways, sidewalks, and other impervious and pervious surfaces is collected into one pipe. Under normal conditions, this combined stormwater and sewage is transported to a wastewater treatment plant for treatment before it is discharged to a water body. The volume of wastewater can sometimes exceed the capacity of the CSS or treatment plant (e.g., during heavy rainfall events or snowmelt). When this occurs, untreated stormwater and wastewater, discharges directly to nearby streams, rivers, and other water bodies as a combined sewer overflow (CSO). CSO is a water pollution priority concern for the nearly 860 municipalities across the U.S that have CSSs [1]
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