Low-Impact Parking Lot Design Reduces Runoff and Pollutant Loads
Publication: Journal of Water Resources Planning and Management
Volume 127, Issue 3
Abstract
An innovative parking lot at the Florida Aquarium in Tampa, Fla., is being used as a research site and demonstration project to show how small alterations to parking lot designs can dramatically decrease runoff and pollutant loads. Three paving surfaces are compared, as well as basins with and without swales, to measure pollutant concentrations and infiltration. Preliminary results from the first year of a 2-year study indicate that swales reduce average runoff amounts by 30% at this site and pervious paving reduces it by an additional 10–15%. Rainfall water quality was also evaluated, and rain is found to be a significant input for inorganic nitrogen. Other water quality data show higher phosphorus concentrations in basins with vegetated swales and higher metal concentrations in basins paved with asphalt rather than cement or pervious paving. Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons were detected in the sediments in all basins, but concentrations were higher in basins paved with asphalt and some values approached toxic levels. Pesticides were also detected in the sediments, especially the banned organo-chlorine pesticide, dichloro-diphenyl-trichloroethane, and its daughter products.
Get full access to this article
View all available purchase options and get full access to this article.
References
1.
ASCE. ( 1992). “Design and construction of urban stormwater management systems.” WEF Manual of Practice FD-20, New York, 91–92.
2.
Florida Department of Environmental Protection (FDEP). ( 1996). Comprehensive quality assurance plan, Central Chemistry Laboratory, Tallahassee, Fla.
3.
Ferguson, B. K., and Suckling, P. W. ( 1990). “Changing rainfall-runoff relationships in the urbanizing Peachtree Creek Watershed, Atlanta, Georgia.” J. Am. Water Resour. Assn., 26(2), 313–322.
4.
Guilizzoni, P. ( 1991). “The role of heavy metals and toxic materials in the physiological ecology of submersed macrophytes.” Aquatic Botany, 41, 87–109.
5.
Harper, H. H. ( 1994). Stormwater loading rate parameters for central and south Florida, Environmental Research & Design, Inc., Orlando, Fla.
6.
Long, E. R., et al. ( 1994). “Magnitude and extent of sediment toxicity in Tampa Bay, Florida.” Tech. Memo. NOS ORCA 78, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Silver Spring, Md.
7.
Long, E. R., MacDonald, D. D., Smith, S. L., and Calder, F. D. ( 1995). “Incidence of adverse biological effects within ranges of chemical concentrations in marine and estuarine sediments.” Envir. Mgmt., 19, 81–97.
8.
Low impact development: Design manual. (1997). Department of Environmental Resources, Prince George's County, Md.
9.
Pitt, R. E., and Barron, P. ( 1990). “Sources of urban runoff toxicants.” Proc., 16th Annu. Haz. Waste Res. Symp.: Remedial Action, Treatment, and Disposal of Haz. Waste, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Cincinnati.
10.
Pritchett, W. L. ( 1979). Properties and management of forest soils, Wiley, New York.
11.
Sartor, J. D., Boyd, G. B., and Agardy, F. J. ( 1974). “Water pollution aspects of street surface contaminants.” J. Water Pollution Control Fedn., 46(3), 458–467.
12.
Shaver, E., Maxted, J., Curtis, G., and Carter, D. ( 1995). Watershed protection using an integrated approach, Stormwater NPDES related monitoring needs, H. C. Torno, ed., ASCE, New York.
13.
Southwest Florida Water Management District (SWFWMD). ( 1998). Comprehensive quality assurance plan, Brooksville, Fla.
14.
Strynchuk, J., Royal, J., and England, G. ( 1999). “Grass and leaf decomposition and nutrient release study under wet conditions.” Proc., 6th Biennial Stormwater Res. and Watershed Mgmt. Conf., 12–20.
15.
Takada, H., Onda, T., and Ogura, N. ( 1990). “Determination of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in urban street dust and their source materials by capillary gas chromatography.” Envir. Sci. and Technol., 24, 1179–1186.
16.
Yasuda, K., and Takahashi, M. ( 1998). “The emission of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons from municipal solid waste incinerators during the combustion cycle.” J. Air and Waste Mgmt. Assn., 48, 441–447.
Information & Authors
Information
Published In
Journal of Water Resources Planning and Management
Volume 127 • Issue 3 • June 2001
Pages: 172 - 179
History
Received: Nov 20, 2000
Published online: Jun 1, 2001
Published in print: Jun 2001
Authors
Metrics & Citations
Metrics
Citations
Download citation
If you have the appropriate software installed, you can download article citation data to the citation manager of your choice. Simply select your manager software from the list below and click Download.