Simulation and feasibility of biological and structural BMPs for stormwater control in the urbanizing watersheds

Abstract

The development and increasing of construction activities results in the permeability reduction of surfaces and consequently improper impacts on the transport and convey of surface runoff in the urban areas. Regarding the development of urban areas, it is crucial to select and implement the best management practices (BMPs), the functional and practical methods for reducing and controlling runoff volume. In this research, BMPs are implemented in one of the developing areas of Tehran, Iran, with 30 sub-watersheds and modeled in stormwater management model program. Then, the effects of implementing BMPs are investigated on the reduction of runoff volume in the main manholes of collecting and transporting runoff network. For this purpose, the plan maps of BMPs are prepared for different hydrological conditions, regarding their types and implementation surface areas. Besides, the design, construction and maintenance of BMPS are evaluated economically. According to the results obtained in this research, runoff volume is reduced for 33–70 and 22–54%, respectively, in the low and high intensity rainfalls with the return periods of 2–10 years. These results can provide a practical and strategic approach to properly understanding the effects of BMPs implementation in reducing and controlling the surface runoff volume in the urban areas. Moreover, they can be considered as an important step to promote the implementation of BMPs for surface runoff management in the developing urban areas.