Runoff and Pollutant Export from a LID Subdivision in North Carolina
Publication: Journal of Environmental Engineering
Volume 142, Issue 1
Abstract
Storm rainfall on and runoff from a 3.35-ha low-impact development (LID) residential subdivision in the Piedmont region of North Carolina were monitored for 6+ years, which included predevelopment, during-development, and postdevelopment phases. Runoff was monitored and sampled at two stations using automated samplers. Along with residences, the drainage area to one of the stations (PC1) included an undisturbed wooded riparian buffer with level spreaders to distribute runoff, while the area to the other station (PC2) included four bioretention areas, permeable pavement, a roof runoff collection system, a detention pond, and other LID measures. Monitoring results documented that the postdevelopment, runoff to rainfall ratio, and pollutant export at both stations were significantly greater than those of the predevelopment phase, during which time the land use on the site was mature woods. The total nitrogen (TN), total phosphorus (TP), and total suspended solids (TSS) export at both LID monitoring stations was 23 to 92% less than those from a nearby conventionally-developed subdivision monitored previously. These data indicated that LID subdivisions constructed on moderately to slowly permeable soils may not be able to maintain the runoff to rainfall ratio and TN, TP, and TSS export if the predevelopment land use was mature woods; however, if the predevelopment land use was cropland mixed with woods, then it may be possible to maintain predevelopment runoff to rainfall ratio and TN, TP, and TSS export. Further, the extensive use of LID techniques/measures in this residential subdivision resulted in less TN, TP, and TSS export compared to a similar conventional subdivision.
Get full access to this article
View all available purchase options and get full access to this article.
Acknowledgments
This project was funded by two EPA Section 319 Grants (EW06036 and 2870) that were administered by the NC DENR-Division of Water Quality (NCDENR-DWQ). The monitoring from 2010 to 2012 was funded by the Town of Carrboro as part of their Section 319 grant (2870) from NCDENR-DWQ. The project partners included the Carrboro Collaborative Development Association Inc. and the Pacifica Homeowners Association, which granted access to NCSU to conduct the monitoring and cooperated in many other ways. The authors also acknowledge the efforts of Jamie Blackwell and Mike Shaffer in sample collection and maintenance and Jenny James of the NCSU Center for Applied Aquatic Ecology for sample analyses.
References
Carle, M. V., Halpin, P. N., and Stow, C. A. (2005). “Patterns of watershed urbanization and impacts on water quality.” J. Am. Water Resour. Assoc., 41(3), 693–708.
Clausen, J. C. (2007). “Jordan cove watershed project: Final report.” Dept. of Natural Resources Management and Engineering, Univ. of Connecticut, Storrs, CT.
Clausen, J. C., and Spooner, J. (1993). “Paired watershed study design.”, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Washington, DC.
Dietz, M. E., and Clausen, J. C. (2005). “A field evaluation of rain garden flow and pollutant treatment.” Water Air Soil Pollut., 167(1–4), 123–138.
Dietz, M. E., and Clausen, J. C. (2008). “Stormwater runoff and export changes with development in a traditional and low impact subdivision.” J. Environ. Manage., 87(4), 560–566.
Eaton, A. D., Clesceri, L. S., and Greenberg, A. R. (1995). “Standard methods for the examination of water and wastewater.” American Public Health Association, Washington, DC.
Etheridge, J. R. (2013). “Quantifying the water quality benefits of a constructed brackish marsh and tidal stream system using continuous water quality and flow monitoring.” Ph.D. thesis, Dept. of Biological and Agricultural Engineering, North Carolina State Univ., Raleigh, NC.
Ferguson, B. K., and Suckling, P. W. (1990). “Changing rainfall-runoff relationships in the urbanizing Peachtree Creek watershed, Atlanta, Georgia.” Water Resour. Bull., 26(2), 313–322.
Hamilton, G. W., and Waddington, D. V. (1999). “Infiltration rates on residential lawns in central Pennsylvania.” J. Soil Water Conserv., 54(3), 564–568.
Kotlash, A. R., and Chessman, B. C. (1998). “Effects of water sample preservation and storage on nitrogen and phosphorus determinations: Implications for the use of automated sampling equipment.” Water Res., 32(12), 3731–3737.
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., 217–224.
Line, D. E., Shaffer, M. B., and Blackwell, J. (2011). “Sediment export from a highway construction site in central North Carolina.” Trans. ASABE, 54(1), 105–111.
Line, D. E., and White, N. M. (2007). “Effects of development on runoff and pollutant export.” Water Environ. Res., 79(2), 185–190.
Makepeace, D. K., Smith, D. W., and Stanley, S. J. (1995). “Urban stormwater quality: Summary of contaminant data.” Crit. Rev. Environ. Sci. Technol., 25(2), 93–139.
Orange County North Carolina. (2015). “Orange County NC interactive GIS.” 〈http://www.orangecountync.gov/〉 (May 12, 2013).
Ott, L. (1984). An introduction to statistical methods and data analysis, Duxbury Press, Boston, MA.
Perrin, C., et al. (2009). “Low impact development: A guidebook for North Carolina (AG-716).” 〈http://www.ncsu.edu/WECO/LID〉.
USDA (U.S. Department of Agriculture). (1986). “Urban hydrology for small watersheds.” Natural Resources Conservation Service, Washington, DC.
U.S. EPA (U.S. Environmental Protection Agency). (1983). “Methods for chemical analysis of water and waste.”, Cincinnati, OH.
Wang, L., Lyons, J., Kanehl, P., and Bannerman, R. T. (2001). “Impacts of urbanization on stream habitat and fish across multiple scales.” Environ. Manage., 28(2), 255–266.
Information & Authors
Information
Published In
Journal of Environmental Engineering
Volume 142 • Issue 1 • January 2016
Copyright
© 2015 American Society of Civil Engineers.
History
Received: May 6, 2014
Accepted: Jul 8, 2015
Published online: Aug 18, 2015
Published in print: Jan 1, 2016
Discussion open until: Jan 18, 2016
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.