Some features of the ASCE Shopping cart and login features of the website will be down for maintenance on Sunday, June 16th, 2024, beginning at 12:00 A.M. ET and ending at 6:00 A.M. ET. During this time if you need immediate assistance at 1-800-548-2723 or [email protected].

Chapter
Apr 26, 2012

Rainwater Harvesting, Low Impact Development Strategies, and Meeting the National Pollution Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) Stormwater Discharge Standards

Publication: World Environmental and Water Resource Congress 2006: Examining the Confluence of Environmental and Water Concerns

Abstract

The National Pollution Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) was established to control development generated pollutants that are discharged into natural drainage systems. NPDES regulates point source pollution that enters surface bodies of water including water pollutants such as effluent from factories, power plants, sewage treatment plants, large construction sites, storm sewer systems, and stormwater runoff. Stormwater runoff—the main subject of the paper—is listed with these other toxic water sources because it too can have extremely poor water quality by picking up and removing toxins from an urban environment as it moves through a developed site. The larger the development, the more essential it is to deal with its generated pollutants. Rainwater harvesting deals with the rain that falls on a site and can be either a passive system allowing gravity to do the work or can be an active system where the rainwater is collected in cisterns for future use. Stormwater can be collected off rooftops or ground level catchments. The water can be used for either non-potable or potable uses. Water collection alone can not remove the threat of stormwater pollutant transport however; combining collection with low impact development strategies increases the potential for eliminating stormwater transport of pollutants. Low impact development strategies deal with the way a site is designed and graded and deals with strategies such as reducing impervious areas, using permeable pavements, eliminating curbs or allowing stormwater to move through curbs, or installing strategies such as rain gardens and bioswales. Responsible stormwater management incorporates rainwater harvesting and low impact development strategies to help streamline NPDES requirements. This paper discusses a common goal in green building development projects, which is to generate "no net" increase in runoff from a site and improve water quality of stormwater that must leave the site. This goal is met with two basic concepts: rainwater harvesting and low impact development strategies. Along with a description of the two basic concepts, a stormwater case study is provided at the end of this paper to demonstrate applicability.

Get full access to this chapter

View all available purchase options and get full access to this chapter.

Information & Authors

Information

Published In

Go to World Environmental and Water Resource Congress 2006
World Environmental and Water Resource Congress 2006: Examining the Confluence of Environmental and Water Concerns
Pages: 1 - 8

History

Published online: Apr 26, 2012

Permissions

Request permissions for this article.

ASCE Technical Topics:

Authors

Affiliations

Heather Kinkade-Levario [email protected]
ARCADIS Arizona Director of Planning, 8222 South 48th Street, Suite 140, Phoenix, AZ 85044. E-mail: [email protected]

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.

View Options

Get Access

Access content

Please select your options to get access

Log in/Register Log in via your institution (Shibboleth)
ASCE Members: Please log in to see member pricing

Purchase

Save for later Information on ASCE Library Cards
ASCE Library Cards let you download journal articles, proceedings papers, and available book chapters across the entire ASCE Library platform. ASCE Library Cards remain active for 24 months or until all downloads are used. Note: This content will be debited as one download at time of checkout.

Terms of Use: ASCE Library Cards are for individual, personal use only. Reselling, republishing, or forwarding the materials to libraries or reading rooms is prohibited.
ASCE Library Card (5 downloads)
$105.00
Add to cart
ASCE Library Card (20 downloads)
$280.00
Add to cart
Buy Single Paper
$35.00
Add to cart

Get Access

Access content

Please select your options to get access

Log in/Register Log in via your institution (Shibboleth)
ASCE Members: Please log in to see member pricing

Purchase

Save for later Information on ASCE Library Cards
ASCE Library Cards let you download journal articles, proceedings papers, and available book chapters across the entire ASCE Library platform. ASCE Library Cards remain active for 24 months or until all downloads are used. Note: This content will be debited as one download at time of checkout.

Terms of Use: ASCE Library Cards are for individual, personal use only. Reselling, republishing, or forwarding the materials to libraries or reading rooms is prohibited.
ASCE Library Card (5 downloads)
$105.00
Add to cart
ASCE Library Card (20 downloads)
$280.00
Add to cart
Buy Single Paper
$35.00
Add to cart

Media

Figures

Other

Tables

Share

Share

Copy the content Link

Share with email

Email a colleague

Share