Simulation of the Performance of a Storm-Water BMP
Publication: Journal of Environmental Engineering
Volume 135, Issue 12
Abstract
Vegetated storage-infiltration best management practices (BMPs) have become an increasingly popular means of attenuating and treating runoff from developed land. However, the hydrologic and pollutant removal performances of these facilities can be highly variable. A mathematical model of an idealized BMP was developed in order to quantify the impact of variable hydrologic and pollutant concentration input on BMP performance by simulating the treatment performance of the model system during 1,250 non-steady-state storm events generated based on historic Maryland rainfall data. The model BMP was effective in attenuating volume (42% total volume reduction) and peak flow (median peak output to peak input flow ratio was 0.058). The simulated mean effluent pollutant event mean concentration was much less than the influent (0.284 compared with 1.51 mg/L) and the overall mass load reduction was 92%. However, the performance parameters demonstrated significant variability. Consequently, the results suggest a need to incorporate into BMP performance guidelines the impact of the variable influent hydrologic and pollutant concentration characteristics. Emphasis should be placed on discharge water quality and statistical distributions rather than on single-percent removal values.
Get full access to this article
View all available purchase options and get full access to this article.
References
Boyce, W. E., and DiPrima, R. C. (2005). Elementary differential equations and boundary value problems, 8th Ed., Wiley, New York.
Cunnane, C. (1978). “Unbiased plotting positions—A review.” J. Hydrol., 37, 205.
Davis, A. P. (2007). “Field performance of bioretention: Water quality.” Environ. Eng. Sci., 24(8), 1049–1064.
Davis, A. P. (2008). “Field performance of bioretention: Hydrology impacts.” J. Hydrol. Eng., 13(2), 90–95.
Dean, C. M., Sansalone, J. J., Cartledge, F. K., and Pardue, J. H. (2005). “Influence of hydrology on rainfall-runoff metal element speciation.” J. Environ. Eng., 131(4), 632–642.
Dietz, M. E. (2007). “Low impact development practices: A review of current research recommendations for future directions.” Water, Air, Soil Pollut., 186, 351–363.
Dietz, M. E., and Clausen, J. C. (2005). “A field evaluation of rain garden flow and pollutant treatment.” Water, Air, Soil Pollut., 167, 123–138.
Harter, H. L. (1984). “Another look at plotting positions.” Commun. Stat. Theory Meth., 13(13), 1613.
Hsieh, C. -H., and Davis, A. P. (2005). “Evaluation and optimization of bioretention media for treatment of urban storm water runoff.” J. Environ. Eng., 131(11), 1521–1531.
Hunt, W. F., Jarrett, A. R., Smith, J. T., and Sharkey, L. J. (2006). “Evaluating bioretention hydrology and nutrient removal at three field sites in North Carolina.” J. Irrig. Drain. Eng., 132(6), 600.
Kreeb, L. B. (2003). “Hydrologic efficiency and design sensitivity of bioretention facilities.” Honors Research thesis, Univ. of Maryland, College Park, Md.
Li, H., Sharkey, L. J., Hunt, W. F., and Davis, A. P. (2009). “Mitigation of impervious surface hydrology using bioretention in North Carolina and Maryland.” J. Hydrol. Eng., 135(3), 109–117.
Line, D. E., and Hunt, W. F. (2009). “Performance of a bioretention area and a level spreader-grass filter strip at two highway sites in North Carolina.” J. Irrig. Drain. Eng., 135(2), 217–224.
McCuen, R. H. (2005). Hydrologic analysis and design, Prentice-Hall, Upper Saddle River, N.J.
Prince Georges County. (1993). “Design manual for use of bioretention in stormwater management.” Technical Rep. Prepared for Prince George’s County (MD), Dept. of Environmental Protection, Watershed Protection Branch, Landover, Md.
Rushton, B. T. (2001). “Low-impact parking lot design reduces runoff and pollutant loads.” J. Water Resour. Plann. Manage., 127(3), 172–179.
Stagge, J. H. (2006). “Field evaluation of hydrologic and water quality benefits of grass swales for managing highway runoff.” Univ. of Maryland, College Park, Md.
University of New Hampshire Stormwater Center (UNHSC). (2006). 2005 Data Rep., CICEET, Durham, N.H.
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA). (1996). “Managing urban runoff.” EPA 841-F-96-004G, USEPA, Washington, D.C.
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA). (2000). “Low impact development (LID): A literature review.” EPA-841-B-00-005USEPA, Washington, D.C.
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA). (2002). “National water quality inventory, 2000 report.” EPA-841-R-02-001, USEPA, Washington, D.C.
Vesilind, P. A., and Morgan, S. M. (2004). Introduction to environmental engineering, Thomson, Bellmont, Calif.
Wanielista, M. P., and Yousef, Y. A. (1993). Stormwater management, Wiley, New York.
Yu, S. L., Kuo, J. T., Fassman, E. A., and Pan, H. (2001). “Field test of grassed swale performance in removing runoff pollution.” J. Water Resour. Plann. Manage., 127(3), 168–171.
Information & Authors
Information
Published In
Journal of Environmental Engineering
Volume 135 • Issue 12 • December 2009
Pages: 1257 - 1267
Copyright
© 2009 ASCE.
History
Received: Dec 22, 2008
Accepted: May 26, 2009
Published online: May 27, 2009
Published in print: Dec 2009
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.