Review of Stormwater Design for Sustainable Development by Ronald L. Rossmiller

The book is a novel attempt integrating a multitude of aspects of low impact development (LID); the triple bottom line (TBL); and Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and local and state regulations and laws impacting design. The book is rich in engineering details reflecting the author’s vast practical experience and knowledge of the subject, with emphasis on “what and how to do it.” It is a welcome addition to the literature.

The subject matter of the book is divided into 16 chapters and a suite of 10 appendixes. One can also view the contents of the book in four parts. The first part, consisting of Chapters 1–5, deals with sustainable development planning issues. The second part, which is composed of Chapters 6–12 and Chapter 16, is about hydrology. The third part, consisting of Chapters 13–15, constitutes basic hydraulics with a focus on culvert design. The 10 appendixes contain a wealth of information related to storm-water design.

The first chapter is introductory and clearly sets the stage for what to expect in the remainder of the chapters. Articulating the fivefold purpose of the book, it emphasizes sustainability and the TBL of people, planet, and profit (the three “P”s). Chapter 2 lays out the concepts for design of LID, discusses a realistic approach for the development, and then presents a balanced layered approach to sustainability, taking into account the maximization of the attractiveness of development, minimization of runoff rate and volume, maximization of the reduction of pollutants, minimization of the costs of construction, operation and maintenance, and public education. Chapter 3 deals with coving and curvilinear streets. Emphasizing the implementation of all portions of the TBL in single-family and multifamily development, the chapter goes on to discuss the benefits of coving and curvilinear streets and the subdivision and neighborhood approach and then presents three illustrative applications: Altoona Heights, Walnut Creek Highlands, and Santiago Creek.

The theme of Chapter 4 is planning, with a discussion of fatal flaw analysis, land use (proposed and existing), and needed data. This chapter succinctly lays out steps as to what to plan for. Different best management practices (BMPs) are discussed in Chapter 5. These include land-consuming detention basins, source controls, treatment controls, green roofs, catch basin inserts, lawns, vegetated swales, infiltration trenches, rain gardens, perforated pipes, porous pavements, permeable pavements, sediment basins, extended basins, dry detention basins, wet detention basins, and buffer zones. This is a very good chapter with copious details. Chapters 1–5 describe methods for planning and laying out developments incorporating the concepts of sustainability and the TBL.

Chapter 6 deals with precipitation, which is the driving force for determining the sizing of storm-water management facilities. The hydrology of precipitation is summarized succinctly from the standpoint of application to storm-water management. The discussion includes precipitation measurements, rain gauge locations, areal extent and rainfall depths in storms, areal rainfall, rainfall intensity, intensity-duration-frequency (IDF) curves, storm duration, and time distribution of rainfall. The chapter concludes with the presentation of an instructive case study. The subject matter of Chapter 7 is drainage area estimation. Beginning with a discussion of watershed delineation, it goes on to present available computer tools, topographic maps, stream networks, watershed delineation in rural and urban areas, and laying out a cross section. The discussion is clear and easy to follow.

Chapter 8 presents the estimation of time of concentration (TOC). Starting with the definition of TOC, the chapter discusses different types of equations and how to compute TOC using these equations. Sizing BMPs constitutes the subject matter of Chapter 9. Beginning with a discussion of steps needed to complete the design process, the chapter details allowable headwater depth (AHD), the elevation-versus-storage relationship, inflow hydrograph methodology, the elevation-versus-outflow relationship, and routing methodology. Thereafter, these steps are discussed, each in separate chapters.

Chapter 10 deals with allowable depths. Defining the headwater depth, it treats roadways for new or existing detention basins, berms for BMPs, site characteristics, institutional guidelines, land use, return periods, and freeboard. The depth-storage relationship is presented in Chapter 11. Defining the depth-storage relationship, it presents equations for computing the storage volume and concludes with the presentation of five illustrative examples. Chapter 12 deals with inflow hydrographs. Starting with a discussion of the hydrologic cycle, it discusses hydrograph methods, hydrograph development, and potential attenuation of inflow hydrographs and is concluded with two illustrative examples and enlightening comments on the use of methodology.

Chapter 13 deals with basic hydraulics, entailing conservation of mass, total energy, Bernoulli’s equation, specific energy, Froude number, Manning’s equation, critical depth, normal depth, conduit slope, hydraulic jump, and friction loss. Culvert hydraulics is covered in Chapter 14. This chapter starts with a sequence of steps for culvert design, including determination of allowable headwater, estimation of design flow rates, selection of culvert characteristics, location of control section, hydraulic design, determination of critical and normal depths, inlet control, outlet control, performance curves, outlet transitions, and pipe protective measures. Rise structure design is dealt with in Chapter 15. It presents orifices, weirs, and water quality outlets. Four instructive examples conclude the chapter. Hydrographs routing is discussed in Chapter 16. It presents the hydrologic routing equation and the procedure for routing and is concluded with a useful example and cost.

The next part of the book is a suite of 11 appendixes (Appendixes A–K). The discussion of each appendix is similar to that for a chapter. Appendix A deals with retrofit for Catfish Creek. Appendix B treats green roofs. Appendix C is on residential rain gardens. Appendix D discusses vegetative swales. Parking lots are described in Appendix E. Single-family neighborhoods are discussed in Appendix F. The subject matter of Appendix G is office parks. Appendix H treats industrial sites. Each of these appendixes contains useful illustrative examples. Potential source control for BMPs is discussed in Appendix I. Manning’s roughness coefficient values are presented in Appendix J. The last appendix—Appendix K—contains a number of useful references.

The book is beautifully written in a lucid style, and the text is clear and easy to understand. The book will be of great value to those who are engaged in storm-water design with a particular focus on sustainable development. The examples included in the book, which cover a wide range of practical problems, are a major strength and reflect the author’s vast experience and knowledge. This is a highly useful book and will be a good addition to the library of any graduate student or faculty member interested in storm-water management.