Innovative Technologies for Storm-Water Management Programs in Small Urbanized Areas
Publication: Journal of Water Resources Planning and Management
Volume 140, Issue 11
Abstract
Small urbanized areas (UAs) as defined by the U.S. Census and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) have a population between 50,000 and 100,000, and a population density of at least 1,000 people per square mile. Under Phase II of the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System, storm-water managers in these UAs must preserve predevelopment hydrology through compliance with qualitative regulations—an often impracticable task given the limited resources of these municipal authorities and the diffuse hydrologic impacts of urbanization. The objective of this paper is to assist storm-water managers by providing a geographic information system (GIS) workflow supported by Python scripting that produces a geographic database of storm-water infrastructure that can subsequently be used to create a fully parameterized hydrologic/hydraulic model. Guidance on calibrating this model is then provided with suggestions for measuring discharge in storm sewer systems. The application of these objectives is demonstrated in a watershed in Blacksburg, Virginia, where a unique municipal-academic partnership fostered the development of this work. Finally, improvements and further research ideas are suggested for storm-water management in small UAs.
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Acknowledgments
The work described in this publication was supported by the Town of Blacksburg, Virginia. The ideas presented are the authors’ views, and not those of the Town of Blacksburg.
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Information & Authors
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Published In
Journal of Water Resources Planning and Management
Volume 140 • Issue 11 • November 2014
Copyright
© 2014 American Society of Civil Engineers.
History
Received: Jul 8, 2013
Accepted: Sep 25, 2013
Published online: Sep 27, 2013
Discussion open until: Oct 16, 2014
Published in print: Nov 1, 2014
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