Conventional Stormwater Control Measures and Green Infrastructure Maintenance

This chapter provides a review of maintenance for conventional stormwater control measures (SCMs), including green infrastructure. Green infrastructure measures focus on distributed controls that are vegetated or incorporate infiltration. These include bioretention filters and infiltration basins. One of the primary goals of any stormwater infrastructure maintenance is to provide sustained and reliable function over time. Vegetated SCM maintenance should facilitate and amplify beneficial vegetation-soil feedback loops and suppress detrimental feedback loops. Hydraulics and sediment transport regimes may determine the level of maintenance required to achieve a desired performance standard for given green stormwater infrastructure technology. Routine maintenance of cisterns and rain barrels includes periodic removal of accumulated sediment and debris that accumulates within the cistern tank. Landscaped roof routine maintenance addresses many of the functional, aesthetic, and safety needs typical to vegetated SCMs at ground level as well as considerations specific to rooftop environments.