Storm-Water Bioretention for Runoff Quality and Quantity Mitigation
Publication: Journal of Environmental Engineering
Volume 137, Issue 9
Abstract
In response to water quality and quantity issues within the Stroubles Creek watershed in Blacksburg, Virginia, a retrofit bioretention cell (BRC) was installed to collect and treat runoff from an existing parking lot. The BRC was completed in July 2007, and 28 precipitation events were monitored between October 2007 and June 2008. For each storm, inflow and outflow flow-weighted composite samples were collected and analyzed for suspended sediment, total nitrogen, and total phosphorus. The inflow and outflow concentrations and loads, as well as total inflow and outflow volumes and peak flow rates, were analyzed to evaluate BRC efficiency. Overall, the BRC successfully reduced flow volumes and peak flow rates leaving the parking lot by 97 and 99%, respectively. Cumulative mass reductions for sediment, total nitrogen, and total phosphorus all exceeded 99% by mass. The findings of this study have significant implications for areas with karst geology: (1) current design recommendations of lining the bottom of BRCs with clay may not be sufficient to prevent large amounts of water from infiltrating into surrounding soils; and (2) in areas with significant elevation changes, designing BRCs deeper than the typical 0.6–1.2 m increases the feasibility of retrofits and provides substantial water quality and quantity benefits.
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Acknowledgments
The authors would like to acknowledge the Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation for funding this study and the Town of Blacksburg, Virginia for their assistance in planning, designing, and constructing the best management practices used for this research. Additional recognition goes to Ms. Laura Teany and Mr. Matt Stolte for their support and guidance during the course of this study.
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Information & Authors
Information
Published In
Journal of Environmental Engineering
Volume 137 • Issue 9 • September 2011
Pages: 800 - 808
Copyright
© 2011 American Society of Civil Engineers.
History
Received: Dec 26, 2009
Accepted: Mar 8, 2011
Published online: Mar 10, 2011
Published in print: Sep 1, 2011
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