International Stormwater BMP Database: What's in It for You?

More then a decade ago, members of the Environmental and Water Resources Institute's (EWRI's) Urban Water Resources Research Council (UWRRC) identified a need to gather sufficient technical design and performance information to improve urban stormwater Best Management Practice (BMP) selection and design so that local stormwater problems can be cost-effectively addressed. As a result, the International Stormwater BMP Database Project was initiated. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) initially funded the project through the UWRRC of ASCE via multiple grants, and in 2004, the project transitioned to a more broadly supported coalition of partners led by the Water Environment Research Foundation (WERF), and including the American Public Works Association (APWA) and the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), as well as ASCE and USEPA. While the long-term vision of the project has remained the same, many significant improvements to the database have been made. This paper provides an overview of the overall database project for those unfamiliar with the project and identifies major changes that have been made for those familiar with the early stages of the effort. This paper provides an overview of the resources now available from the www.bmpdatabase.org website. Key aspects of these resources include enhanced tools to track BMP performance through improved data entry spreadsheets and a significantly revised project website. Additionally, an overview of the studies contained in the database, which now includes over 340 BMP studies, is provided. Several examples of how regional and state organizations have adopted the database to track their own BMP performance and improve reporting associated with BMP performance studies are provided. The presentation accompanying this paper will provide additional examples of how the database can be used as a tool for a broad range of entities involved in stormwater management and research or affected by National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permits, such as public works administrators and engineers, state transportation departments, consulting engineers, and university researchers. Due to significant growth of the database and improvements in data analysis and summary products, the database is a scientifically-based resource that now offers relevant information and tools to all of these users.