Detention Basins Research Articles

Nitrogen Treatment by a Dry Detention Basin with Stormwater Wetland Characteristics

Dry detention basins (DB) are commonly used to reduce the rate of runoff in urban areas and may provide open space for recreation between storms. However, most are not effective at nitrogen removal in comparison to other measures, such as constructed wetlands. The study goal was to assess the nitrogen treatment efficiency of a DB that exhibited some wetland characteristics, including saturated soil near the inlet and wetland vegetation that covered 40% of the surface area. Influent and effluent samples were collected during multiple stages of eight storm events for nitrogen concentration analyses. High-frequency water stage, pH, dissolved oxygen (DO), and temperature loggers were deployed at the inlet and outlet prior to anticipated rain. As stormwater passed through the DB, the event mean concentrations (EMCs) and masses of TN declined by 20.7% and 52.3%, respectively, while the DO and pH dropped by 62% and 20.5%, respectively. Load reductions of TN exceeding 93% were observed during two small storms with rain depths of less than 0.16 cm and when the outflow volumes were reduced by greater than 82%. Temperature was significantly correlated (p < 0.001; r = 0.964) with volume reductions (via infiltration and evapotranspiration), and, thus, the treatment was better during warmer periods. The DB was effective at removing inorganic nitrogen, likely via nitrification, denitrification, and immobilization, but frequently exported higher EMCs of organic nitrogen. Overall, the DB exceeded the 10% TN removal expectation for dry basins. The findings from this study suggest that the TN treatment efficiency of DBs may be improved by incorporating wetland characteristics.

The dramaturgy of floods risk

Because of climate change, the basins formed by torrential rivers are under stress. Heavy rains combined with densely urbanized areas are an increasingly frequent threat. A solution are flood water detention basins to be built upstream of cities and industrial districts. However, these artificial basins are the subject of much criticism. A river in north-eastern Italy, the Tagliamento, represents in a paradigmatic way conflict and search for a solution to risk flood. To analyse this water security issue, a dramaturgical approach was chosen. The basic idea is that lack of intervention (actually, a status quo result) depends on regional water authorities’ difficulty to dramatize the issue with appropriate performances, leaving populations within parochial conflicts. The establishment of advisory committees proved insufficient, even if environmentalists and local bodies were involved since the beginning.

A Stochastic Conflict Resolution Optimization Model for Flood Management in Detention Basins: Application of Fuzzy Graph Model

Floods are a natural disaster of significant concern because of their considerable damages to people’s livelihood. To this extent, there is a critical need to enhance flood management techniques by establishing proper infrastructure, such as detention basins. Although intelligent models may be adopted for flood management by detention basins, there is a literature gap on the optimum design of such structures while facing flood risks. The presented study filled this research gap by introducing a methodology to obtain the optimum design of detention basins using a stochastic conflict resolution optimization model considering inflow hydrographs uncertainties. This optimization model was developed by minimizing the conditional value-at-risk (CvaR) of flood overtopping, downstream flood damage, and deficit risk of water demand, as well as the deviation of flood overtopping and downstream damage based on non-linear interval number programming (NINP), for four different outlets types via a robust optimization tool, namely the non-dominated sorting genetic algorithm-III (NSGA-III). Conflict resolution was performed using the graph model for conflict resolution (GMCR) technique, enhanced by fuzzy preferences, to comply with the authorities’ priorities. Results indicated that the proposed framework could effectively design optimum detention basins consistent with the regional and hydrological standards.

Analysis of the Risk Management Strategy for Future Flood-Related Property Damage Due to Climate Change

In this study, we analyzed countermeasure strategies such as the pump system capacity, detention basin storage capacity, drainage system supply capacity, and river restoration ratio to cope with the flood damage increase due to climate change. To establish countermeasure strategies against future property damage from flooding, we collected 19 GCM outputs, extreme hydrological characteristic data, basin characteristic data, and several observation data including four countermeasures for 113 mid-size basins. The relationships between the property damage by flooding other variables were analyzed using a constrained multiple linear regression model. The future property damage was estimated to be the largest in the Namhangang river basin and the Yangyang Namdaecheon basin and was larger in the RCP 8.5 scenario than in the RCP 4.5 scenario. To prepare for this, when the four countermeasures were improved within the available room, the magnitude of the property damage was reduced to below the average or current property damage. However, there were limitations in the cost and manpower of improving all the countermeasures. For this purpose, it is necessary to establish an optimal plan by using multi-criteria decision-making methods.

Evaluation of the Effect of Hamao Detention Pond on Excess Runoff from the Abukuma River in 2019 and Simple Remodeling of the Pond to Increase Its Flood Control Function

Due to the recent increase in the intensity of rainstorms, the Japanese government has announced a new policy of flexible flood mitigation measures that presupposes the release of water volumes exceeding the river channel capacity onto floodplains. However, due to the limited amount of quantitative measurement data on excess runoff, it will take time to formulate planning standards for remodeling and newly constructing flood control facilities reasonable enough under current budgetary constraints. In this study, the capacity shortage of a flood detention pond was evaluated against the excess runoff from a severe 2019 flood event by combining the fragmentary measurement data with a numerical flow simulation. Although the numerical model was a rather simple one commonly used for rough estimation of inundation areas in Japan, the results were overall consistent with the observations. Next, in accordance with the new policy, an inexpensive remodeling of the detention basin, which was designed according to conventional standards, was simulated; the upstream side of the surrounding embankment was removed so that excess water flowed up onto the floodplain gradually. Numerical experiments using the simple model indicated that the proposed remodeling increased the effectiveness of flood control remarkably, even for floods greater than the 2019 flood, without much inundation damage to upstream villages.

Hydraulic Planning in Insular Urban Territories: The Case of Madeira Island—São Vicente

This study aims to examine the flood propensity of the main watercourse of São Vicente drainage basin and, if relevant, to propose two methodologies to alleviate the impacts, i.e., detention basin sizing and riverbed roughness coefficient adjustment. Geomorphological data were obtained from the watershed characterization process and used through the SIG ArcGIS software for the flood propensity assessment and then for the calculation of the expected peak flow rate for a return period of 100 years through the Gumbel Distribution. Subsequently, the drainage capacity of the river mouth was verified using the Manning-Strickler equation, in order to establish whether the river mouth of the watershed has the capacity to drain the entire volume of rainwater in a severe flood event. In summary, it was possible to conclude that São Vicente’s watershed river mouth is not able to completely drain the rain flow for the established return period. Thus, its drainage capacity was guaranteed by modifying the walls and streambed roughness coefficient and by sizing the detention basin using the Dutch and the Simplified Triangular Hydrograph methods.

Assessing flooding and possible adaptation measures using remote sensing data and hydrological modeling in Sweden

Recently, Europe is experiencing more frequent and greater floods compared to the last 500 years due to climate change among other factors. This has increased the associated risks, especially in urban areas, which poses a great challenge to all stakeholders. To protect traffic networks from possible floods, this paper uses QGIS, remote sensing data, and HEC-HMS model to assess flooding events and possible adaptation measures. Two case studies have been taken; 1) a 60-mm rainstorm that occurred in 2012 on a main road in the Northern part of Sweden (NB)); and 2) a 35-mm rainstorm that occurred in 2019 in the Southern part of Gothenburg (GO). The resulting flood hydrographs show that the peak reached are 0.5 m3/s and 3.8 m3/s in GO and NB, respectively. To adapt to these flood events, four adaptation measures were assessed namely afforestation, permeable pavements & green roofs, multi-use detention basins and culvert installation considering food production, biodiversity, prosperity, and the environment. The study has shown that afforestation is an effective flood risk mitigation measure to handle both moderate and extreme rain events. Well-maintained permeable surfaces and green roofs are effective in reducing flooding due to moderate rainfall, but not in reducing the impacts of extreme rainfall events. Well-designed multi-functional detention basins are good flood protection measures, however, if they are not well-maintained, their efficiency may be reduced by up to 90 %. Culverts are effective for frequent and limited rain events, but extreme rain events may even increase flood risk and thereby contribute to damaging the infrastructure.

Modeling of Dike-Break Induced Flood Routing Process and Flood Risk Assessment in Detention Basins

Modeling of Dike-Break Induced Flood Routing Process and Flood Risk Assessment in Detention Basins

Turbidity informed real-time control of a dry extended detention basin: a case study

This research investigated the impact and use of real-time water quality data in a dry extended detention basin retrofitted with a controllable valve and a turbidity sensor with the goal of more consistently meeting water quality objectives.

Multicriteria analysis for identification of flood control mechanisms: Application to extreme events in cities of different Brazilian regions

The alteration of the land use of watersheds by urbanization generates changes in the hydrological response of a region. Urbanization brings improvements to the population's quality of life; however, the increase in impermeable surfaces, often without proper planning, has an impact on the environment. Impermeable surfaces decrease the infiltration of water and increase the runoff volume. Floods are common problems in cities with urban planning failures or accelerated population growth. In recent decades, municipalities have sought to invest in low-environmental-impact tools that control stormwater, such as best management practices (BMPs) and low-impact development (LID). To implement these tools, it is necessary to analyze the characteristics of each city, with the aim of selecting the best solution for flood control for that city. In this study, the main criteria considered in the decision-making process for the implementation of low-environmental-impact structural flood mitigation measures were identified as Control Mechanisms (CMs). Fuzzy logic was applied to five Brazilian cities with flood records to identify the most appropriate CMs for each city, based on the criteria analyzed. For the cities considered, the most adequate flood control mechanism, according to the criteria, was found to be the detention basin, with a minimum effectiveness of 0.892.

Escherichia coli levels and microbial source tracking in stormwater retention ponds and detention basins.

Little is known about the spatial and temporal changes that occur with Escherichia coli in urban stormwater systems. The goal of this project was to assess E.coli in urban stormwater detention basins and retention ponds, not connected to the sewer system, to determine temporal and spatial differences and evaluate the sources of E.coli utilizing microbial source tracking (MST). Surface water quality was sampled at three detention basins and five retention ponds during major storm events in the summers of 2018 and 2019. One week after each storm, groundwater and surface water were sampled. The MST samples were taken from storm events and normal flows, for both surface and groundwater. E.coli levels were higher during rain events in both detention basins and retention ponds and infrequently met a recreational standard. E.coli in groundwater was pervasive and infrequently met a recreational standard. The MST analysis found sewage, dog, human, and bird markers during storm events and sewage and bird markers during regular flows. PRACTITIONER POINTS: Rain events had significantly more E.coli than during normal flows in both retention ponds and detention basins. E.coli in groundwater was ubiquitous and fluctuates over time. Microbial source tracking (MST) found bird, dog, human, and sewage markers present during all storm events analyzed.

Urban Flood Risk and Economic Viability Analyses of a Smart Sustainable Drainage System

Urban drainage systems are in transition from functioning simply as a transport system to becoming an important element of urban flood protection measures providing considerable influence on urban infrastructure sustainability. Rapid urbanization combined with the implications of climate change is one of the major emerging challenges. The increased concerns with water security and the ageing of existing drainage infrastructure are new challenges in improving urban water management. This study carried out in the Seixal area in Portugal examines flood risk analyses and mitigation techniques performed by computational modelling using MIKE SHE from the Danish Hydraulic Institute (DHI). Several scenarios were compared regarding flood risk and sustainable urban drainage systems (SuDS) efficiency. To obtain a more accurate analysis, the economic viability of each technique was analyzed as well through (i) life cost analysis and (ii) taking into account the damages caused by a certain type of flood. The results present that the best scenario is the one that will minimize the effects of great urbanization and consequently the flood risk, which combines two different measures: permeable pavement and detention basin. This alternative allows us to fully explore the mitigation capacity of each viable technique, demonstrating a very important improvement in the flood mitigation system in Seixal.

The influence of land use and land cover change on stormwater runoff in a highly urbanizing catchment. A case of Msimbazi catchment in Dar es Salaam city, Tanzania

A hydrological pattern of any catchment is highly affected or determined by how land is being used within the particular catchment. Other determining factors may include but not limited to climatic condition as well as the catchment size. This study investigated the potential effects of land use/land cover changes on stormwater runoff in a highly urbanizing catchment, for a case of Msimbazi catchment in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. Three different years (1998, 2009 and 2018) were selected and used as case studies. The extreme, more than 50-year rainfall event of December 2011 was used to develop the meteorological model in HEC-HMS. An engineering solution towards handling the generated stormwater runoff is also proposed. ArcGIS, HEC-Geo HMS and HEC-HMS model were used for an event-based rainfall-runoff simulation. The computed peak discharge showed an increase of about 23.08% from 1998 to 2018. The peak inflows for all the detention basins were observed in the extreme event of 20 December 2011. The designed detention basins are capable of capturing up to 65% of runoff to make the catchment safe from the flooding incidents.

Citizens’ viewpoints on stormwater Beneficial Management Practices (BMPs) in Brazil

Floods are among the most dangerous and destructive hazards in the world. Stormwater Beneficial Management Practices (BMPs) are a set of strategies that can assist in reducing urban floods and their damages by capturing surface runoff and promoting infiltration. Engagement of citizens in the selection of stormwater BMPs may facilitate the decision-making processes and increase the chance of adopting and maintaining them. Due to existence of catastrophic floods in Brazil, implementing BMPs is essential in the urban areas. The objective of this study is to understand the viewpoints of citizens about a set of stormwater BMPs in Brazil. Moreover, we aim to comprehend whether diverging viewpoints about the BMPs can be associated with existence of different layers in the society. For this purpose, online surveys were used to access wide and diverse groups of citizens from different ages, levels of education and income, as well as geographical location. The questions and descriptions of BMPs were prepared in an accessible language, and then disseminated through various platforms. The responses of more than 1000 participants were analyzed using descriptive and statistical methods. Our results show that the participants found the retention and detention basins, as well as permeable pavement as the most efficient BMPs. Moreover, considering the small-scale practices, although lot related BMPs are considered less efficient, citizens are willing to use green roof, bioretention, and rain barrels in their properties. In addition, most of the respondents support public investments on stormwater BMPs. Our analyses show that participants' age and level of education statistically influenced their choice of BMPs and willingness to pay for their maintenance and construction. These results can help Brazilian policy makers to prepare flood management plans by including stormwater BMPs that would be more accepted by the population. In addition, proposing practices that are aligned with citizens’ perceptions creates a sense of responsibility, and is in accordance with the Brazilian New Framework of Sanitation that includes public participation in policy making.

Hydraulic Planning in Insular Urban Territories: The Case of Madeira Island—Ribeira Brava

The main objective of this study was to analyze the flood propensity of the main watercourse of Ribeira Brava drainage basin and, if necessary, to suggest two methodologies to mitigate the impacts, i.e., detention basin sizing and riverbed roughness coefficient adjustment. For the flood propensity assessment, geomorphological data obtained from the watershed characterization process was used through the SIG ArcGIS software and then used for the calculation of the expected peak flow rate for a return period of 100 years using the Gumbel Distribution. Finally, the drainage capacity of the river mouth was verified via the Manning-Strickler equation, with the purpose of establishing whether the river mouth of the watershed has the capacity to drain the entire volume of rainwater in an extreme flood event. In summary, the results indicate that the river mouth of the Ribeira Brava watershed does not have the capacity to drain the rain flow for the pre-established return period; therefore, the detention basin was sized using the Dutch Method and the Simplified Triangular Hydrograph Method, and the roughness coefficient was adjusted in order to ensure the increase in the river mouth’s drainage capacity.

Developing Climate Resilience in Aridlands Using Rock Detention Structures as Green Infrastructure

The potential of ecological restoration and green infrastructure has been long suggested in the literature as adaptation strategies for a changing climate, with an emphasis on revegetation and, more recently, carbon sequestration and stormwater management. Tree planting and “natural” stormwater detention structures such as bioswales, stormwater detention basins, and sediment traps are popular approaches. However, the experimental verification of performance for these investments is scarce and does not address rock detention structures specifically. This 3-year study investigates the infiltration, peak flow mitigation, and microclimate performance of a natural wash stormwater retention installation using one-rock dams in an urban park in Phoenix, Arizona, USA. Field data collected during the study do not depict change in the hydrogeomorphology. However, hydrologic modeling, using data collected from the field, portrays decreases in peak flows and increases in infiltration at the treated sites. Additionally, we observe a lengthening of microclimate cooling effects following rainfall events, as compared with the untreated sites. In this urban arid land setting, the prospect that rock detention structures themselves could reduce warming or heat effects is promising.

Containing a sustainable urbanized environment through SuDS devices in management trains

Generating an effective and efficient sustainable drainage philosophy is imperative in alleviating the risk of flooding in a complex UK climate that is categorised by excessive rainfall. The Sustainable Drainage Systems (SuDS) approach offers a revolutionary change in using heightened flow rates and large capacities of water to our advantage, while also disguising the attenuated water into the urbanized environment. This research explores the result of integrating several SuDS devices in management trains with the sole purpose of significantly reducing overall water quantity. It will compare and contrast and prove how SuDS is more dependable than the conventional pipe-based drainage system that is characterized by its ability to remove water to the outflow quickly. Furthermore, in order to determine how a SuDS device is implemented into the natural environment, a case study was conducted at a residential area in Gibside View, Winlaton in Gateshead. The research exhibits how the newly implemented Detention basin had to be retrofitted into the already inadequate drainage system that once lived there; all in thought of alleviating the significant flooding events that were once reported to have occurred prior. As a verification method in terms of effectiveness, a questionnaire was conducted through convenient and purposive sampling at the Case Study location; data was accumulated door-to-door inside a 300 m radius of the detention basin and received about 180 valid responses. The results showed persistence of respondents who detailed flooding events prior to installing the Detention basin, who then recognised a fundamental change in the minimization of water quantity and flooding issues. The results of this research showed why Detention Basins continue to be identified as one of the most successful water reduction-based SuDS devices available for development nationwide implementation.

Insights into the Pollutant Removal Performance of Stormwater Green Infrastructures: A Case Study of Detention Basins and Retention Ponds.

The quality of water has deteriorated due to urbanization and the occurrence of urban stormwater runoff. To solve this problem, this study investigated the pollutant reduction effects from the geometric and hydrological factors of green infrastructures (GIs) to more accurately design GI models, and evaluated the factors that are required for such a design. Among several GIs, detention basins and retention ponds were evaluated. This study chose the inflow, outflow, total suspended solids (TSS), total phosphorus (TP), watershed area, GI area (bottom area in detention basins and permanent pool surface area in retention ponds), and GI volume (in both detention basins and retention ponds) for analysis and applied both ordinary least squares (OLS) regression and multiple linear regression (MLR). The geometric factors do not vary within each GI, but there may be a bias due to the number of stormwater events. To solve this problem, three methods that involved randomly extracting data with a certain range and excluding outliers were applied to the models. The accuracies of these OLS and MLR models were analyzed through the percentage bias (PBIAS), Nash-Sutcliffe efficiency (NSE), and RMSE-observations standard deviation ratio (RSR). The results of this study suggest that models which consider the influent concentration combined with the hydrological and GI geometric parameters have better correlations than models that consider only a single parameter.

Indicator species characterization and removal in a detention pond in the Plaster Creek watershed

Microbial pathogen contamination is a leading cause of impairment for urban rivers and streams in Michigan. Reports on the ability of green infrastructure best management practices to remove microbial pathogens have been highly variable. This study evaluated the influence of a detention basin (Kreiser Pond) on microbial dynamics in the Plaster Creek watershed in West Michigan. High levels of fecal indicator bacteria and coliphage were documented in influent and effluent water, with significant increases in indicator microbe concentrations during storm events. In dry conditions, Kreiser Pond efficiently reduced the number of indicator microbes flowing through the basin. Rainfall volume had a greater influence on the diversity of bacteria than sampling location. Antibiotic resistance was prevalent in culturable E. coli from Kreiser Pond, demonstrating a potential public health risk and highlighting the need for identifying the ultimate sources of microbial pollution.

Impact of detention dams on the probability distribution of floods

Abstract. Detention dams are one of the most effective practices for flood mitigation. Therefore, the impact of these structures on the basin hydrological response is critical for flood management and the design of flood control structures. With the aim of providing a mathematical framework to interpret the effect of flow control systems on river basin dynamics, the functional relationship between inflows and outflows is investigated and derived in a closed form. This allowed the definition of a theoretically derived probability distribution of the peak outflows from in-line detention basins. The model has been derived assuming a rectangular hydrograph shape with a fixed duration and a random flood peak. In the present study, the undisturbed flood peaks are assumed to be Gumbel distributed, but the proposed mathematical formulation can be extended to any other flood-peak probability distribution. A sensitivity analysis of parameters highlighted the influence of detention basin capacity and rainfall event duration on flood mitigation on the probability distribution of the peak outflows. The mathematical framework has been tested using for comparison a Monte Carlo simulation where most of the simplified assumptions used to describe the dam behaviours are removed. This allowed demonstrating that the proposed formulation is reliable for small river basins characterized by an impulsive response. The new approach for the quantification of flood peaks in river basins characterized by the presence of artificial detention basins can be used to improve existing flood mitigation practices and support the design of flood control systems and flood risk analyses.