Stormwater Infiltration Facilities Research Articles

A New Method for Selecting the Geometry of Systems for Surface Infiltration of Stormwater with Retention

The application of infiltration basins and tanks is one of the primary means of sustainable stormwater management. However, the methods currently used to size these facilities do not take into account a number of parameters that have a significant impact on their required capacity. In light of this, the aim of this research was to develop a new method for selecting the geometry of the infiltration basins and tanks. Its application in the initial phase of designing stormwater management systems will allow assessing the validity of using such facilities in a given catchment area. This paper also presents the results of local and global sensitivity analyses examining how changes in individual design parameters influence stormwater infiltration facilities. The effectiveness of the developed model was evaluated through the example of a real urban catchment. The study was based on a hydrodynamic analysis of more than 3000 model catchments. The research plan was developed using Statistica software. On the other hand, the analysis of the results of hydrodynamic simulations was made possible through the use of artificial neural networks designed using the Python programming language. The research also confirmed that parameters such as the total catchment area, the percent of impervious area, and the type of soil within the catchment are crucial in the design process of these facilities. The results of this research can be considered when designing infiltration basins and tanks under Polish conditions. The described algorithm can also be used by other researchers to develop similar models based on different rainfall data. This will contribute to increasing the safety of urban infrastructure.

Evaluation of the Influence of Catchment Parameters on the Required Size of a Stormwater Infiltration Facility

One sustainable method of stormwater management is surface infiltration with retention. Proper design of stormwater infiltration facilities ensures a reduction in flood risk within urban catchments. However, this is not possible without considering the key design parameters of such facilities. The aim of this paper is to determine the influence of the parameters characterizing the catchment area on the size of the stormwater infiltration facilities. The research used SWMM 5.1 and Statistica software. It was carried out on the example of model catchments and a real urban catchment. The analysis showed that it is of key importance in the design of stormwater infiltration facilities to accurately determine the total catchment area, the type of soil within it, and the proportion of impervious surfaces. The relevance of the other parameters that characterize the catchment area is clearly lesser. However, they cannot be completely ignored, and their values should be determined as accurately as possible. These research results can guide stakeholders in the decision-making process during investment planning and implementation.

Asset management for blue-green infrastructures: a scoping review

Abstract Urban drainage systems have developed way beyond the traditional piped combined or separate sewer systems. Many ‘new’ systems are being introduced, ranging from stormwater infiltration facilities to green roofs. However, the widely advocated blue-green infrastructures are typically overlooked by asset managers, which will very likely have detrimental effects on their performance, service life, and wider adoption. In this paper, the working group on Urban Drainage Asset Management (UDAM – https://udam.home.blog/) of the IWA and IAHR Joint Committee on Urban Drainage discusses whether the state-of-the-art knowledge based on conventional sewer asset management is sufficient to develop asset management for blue-green infrastructures (BGIs). The discussion is structured around the five preconditions for effective control and asset management. Results show that asset management for BGIs is still underdeveloped due to a lack of monitoring techniques covering the broad range of BGI benefits and performance indicators, inspection techniques covering relevant failure mechanisms and models describing these mechanisms, maintenance and rehabilitation options, and sufficient support tools to aid inhabitants in the operation and maintenance of their individual BGIs such as green roofs or vegetated swales.

Integrative Assessment of Stormwater Infiltration Practices in Rapidly Urbanizing Cities: A Case of Lucknow City, India

The lack of strategic planning in stormwater management has made rapidly urbanizing cities more vulnerable to urban water issues than in the past. Low infiltration rates, increase in peak river discharge, and recurrence of urban floods and waterlogging are clear signs of unplanned rapid urbanization. As with many other low to middle-income countries, India depends on its conventional and centralized stormwater drains for managing stormwater runoff. However, in the absence of a robust stormwater management policy governed by the state, its impact trickles down to a municipal level and the negative outcome can be clearly observed through a failure of the drainage systems. This study examines the role of onsite and decentralized stormwater infiltration facilities, as successfully adopted by some higher income countries, under physical and social variability in the context of the metropolitan city of Lucknow, India. Considering the 2030 Master Plan of Lucknow city, this study investigated the physical viability of the infiltration facilities. Gridded ModClark rainfall-runoff modeling was carried out in Kukrail river basin, an important drainage basin of Lucknow city. The HEC-HMS model, inside the watershed modeling system (WMS), was used to simulate stormwater runoff for multiple scenarios of land use and rainfall intensities. With onsite infiltration facilities as part of land use measures, the peak discharge reduced in the range of 48% to 59%. Correlation analysis and multiple regression were applied to understand the rainfall-runoff relationship. Furthermore, the stormwater runoff drastically reduced with decentralized infiltration systems.

Correction to: The Influence of Soil Stochastic Heterogeneity and Facility Dimensions on Stormwater Infiltration Facilities Performance

The original version of this article unfortunately contains mistakes introduced during the publishing process. The mistakes and corrections are described in the following list, the main error lies in Table 1, page 2402.

Correction to: The Effect of Geological Heterogeneity and Groundwater Table Depth on the Hydraulic Performance of Stormwater Infiltration Facilities

The original version of this article unfortunately contains mistakes introduced during the publishing process.

The Influence of Soil Stochastic Heterogeneity and Facility Dimensions on Stormwater Infiltration Facilities Performance

The progressive increase of impervious surfaces induced by urbanization altered significantly the natural hydrological cycle of urban catchments. To face the need of more sustainable and effective solutions for stormwater management and planning, Low Impact Development (LID) practices have been frequently proposed to support existing urban drainage systems. Among LID infrastructures, design and management of stormwater infiltration facilities are still characterised by a high degree of uncertainty. Since the stochastic heterogeneity of the soil may affect significantly their hydraulic performance, it is crucial to understand whether it should be accounted for in the design process. To this aim, numerical experiments under transient variably water saturated conditions were performed. Four infiltration facilities of different bottom length subjected to the same spatial variability of the intrinsic permeability field were considered. Simulations showed that the effects of stochastic heterogeneity on the hydraulic performance are dependent on the dimensions of the facility and on the correlation lengths of the intrinsic permeability field. These effects may potentially undermine the capacity to capture stormwater. To be reduced, the bottom dimensions of the facility should be higher than the horizontal correlation lengths of the intrinsic permeability field. Most strikingly, whether the stochastic heterogeneity is considered or not, the volume infiltrated through the bottom follows an increasing power law with increasing bottom length, while the average infiltration rate at the bottom follows a decaying power law.

A Study on the Removal of Copper (II) from Aqueous Solution Using Lime Sand Bricks

Heavy metals such as Cu(II), if ubiquitous in the runoff, can have adverse effects on the environment and human health. Lime sand bricks, as low-cost adsorbents to be potentially applied in stormwater infiltration facilities, were systematically investigated for Cu(II) removal from water using batch and column experiments. In the batch experiment, the adsorption of Cu(II) to bricks reach an equilibrium within 7 h and the kinetic data fits well with the pseudo-second-order model. The sorption isotherm can be described by both the Freundlich and Langmuir model and the maximum adsorption capacity of the bricks is 7 ± 1 mg/g. In the column experiment, the best removal efficiency for Cu(II) was observed at a filler thickness of 20 cm, service time of 12 min with a Cu(II) concentration of 0.5 mg/L. The Cu(II) removal rate increases with the increasing bed depth and residence time. The inlet concentration and residence time had significant effects on the Cu(II) removal analyzed by the Box–Behnken design (BBD). The Adams-Bohart model was in good agreement with the experimental data in representing the breakthrough curve. Copper fractions in the bricks descend in the order of organic matter fraction > Fe-Mn oxides fraction > carbonates fraction > residual fraction > exchangeable fraction, indicating that the lime sand bricks after copper adsorption reduce the long-term ecotoxicity and bioavailability to the environment.

The Effect of Geological Heterogeneity and Groundwater Table Depth on the Hydraulic Performance of Stormwater Infiltration Facilities

Urbanization has led to a substantial change in the hydrological cycle of urban catchments. Increased runoff and urban flooding, decreased direct subsurface infiltration and groundwater recharge, deterioration of water quality are among the major effects of this alteration. To alleviate these effects, Low Impact Development (LID) practices have been frequently adopted for stormwater management. Among LID infrastructures, infiltration facilities are particularly challenging to design and model due to the considerable amount of uncertainties related to the hydrogeological configuration of installation sites. To date, analysis on how soil heterogeneity, groundwater table depth, and thickness of the unsaturated zone affect the hydraulic performance of infiltration facilities are lacking. To address this knowledge gap, a series of numerical experiments under transient variably water saturated conditions were performed for a hypothetical infiltration facility. Numerical simulations showed that i) infiltration rates increase considerably as the initial depth of the groundwater table increases, ii) the contribution of the bottom of the facility to the infiltration of water is generally higher than the sides, iii) the presence of a less conducting soil layer at a short depth from the bottom of the facility reduces infiltration rates dramatically, iv) the complete clogging of the bottom of the facility has a dramatic impact on the hydraulic performance, v) the stochastic heterogeneity of the soil controls the overall stormwater infiltration process through the facility, and the hydraulic performance may largely deviate from the case when heterogeneity is absent.

Vertical distribution and speciation of heavy metals in stormwater infiltration facilities: possible heavy metals release to groundwater

The infiltration inlet facilities on the side of the road along with the sewage system have been constructed two decades ago in highly urbanized residential area in Tokyo. Possible release of heavy metals from the infiltration inlet was studied by analyzing sediment samples in different vertical depth. Seven heavy metals (Cr, Mn, Co, Ni, Cu, Zn and Pb) were measured. The heavy metal contents in sediment decreased with depth. The low content of heavy metals at the bottom sediment compared to the top indicated possible release of heavy metals from the inlet sediment. The heavy metals speciation study showed that the order of the extractability/mobility in the sediment in acid exchangeable fraction was Zn and Mn>Co>Ni>Cu >Cr and Pb. The mobility order in road dust also followed the similar pattern. In reducible fraction (metal oxide bound) Pb was the most mobile in the sediment while the other metals mobility order was not similar. In oxidizable fraction (organic and sulfide bound) the order was different for the sediment and road dusts. The residual fraction contained 18 to 83% heavy metals. The presence of heavy metals in acid exchangeable, reducible and oxidizable fractions indicated a future possibility of their release to the underlying soil and the groundwater.

Design graphs for storm water infiltration facilities

The disconnection of sewered impervious areas is a measure to reduce the overflow frequency and hydraulic load of both combined and improved separate sewer systems. In this article the sizing of disconnection facilities is elaborated. The usual procedures for determining the required dimensions of the facilities contain some spurious assumptions. These assumptions have been removed, resulting in a more realistic design procedure for disconnection facilities to make sure that the discharge of stormwater is guaranteed. With the use of simulations various design graphs have been constructed. In the graphs the permeability of the soil (K value) is plotted against the required construction length of the facility (L value) scaled to the amount of connected impervious area. For a known K value, a known amount of impervious area and a chosen cross-section of the facility, the required construction length can be assessed directly from the graphs. The effect of a discharge drain at the bottom of a percolation trench has also been investigated. It appeared that, compared to a facility without a drain, the required dimensions of a facility with a drain decrease significantly. Consequently, soils with low permeability allow the application of percolation facilities, provided that a discharge drain is installed at the bottom of the facility. As the drain prevents groundwater filling the facility, the facility with a drain can be applied in areas with relatively high groundwater levels, as occur in many cities in the delta and polder areas of The Netherlands.

Effects of Soil Properties upon Infiltration Characteristics of Storm-water Infiltration Facilities

Effects of Soil Properties upon Infiltration Characteristics of Storm-water Infiltration Facilities