Graphical Calculation of First-Flush Flow Rates for Storm-Water Quality Control
Publication: Journal of Irrigation and Drainage Engineering
Volume 135, Issue 1
Abstract
Regulations for mitigating nonpoint source pollution from small catchments often include requirements for treating a first-flush depth of runoff, either by storing the storm water until it can be treated and released, or by passing it through a filtering device. In either case, the structural measure used to improve water quality needs to be designed or selected to accommodate a flow rate that corresponds to the first-flush runoff depth. An uncomplicated graphical procedure for calculating first-flush design flow rates is presented that is based on standard National Resource Conservation Service rainfall–runoff computation methods in which excess precipitation obtained by applying the runoff curve-number approach to design storm storms is transformed to runoff using triangular unit hydrographs. The solution is made dimensionless by grouping parameters, and, as a result, can be condensed into a single graph that provides highly accurate flow rate estimates.
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Information & Authors
Information
Published In
Journal of Irrigation and Drainage Engineering
Volume 135 • Issue 1 • February 2009
Pages: 68 - 75
Copyright
© 2009 ASCE.
History
Received: Sep 9, 2007
Accepted: Jun 24, 2008
Published online: Feb 1, 2009
Published in print: Feb 2009
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