Multiple problems caused by urban runoff have emerged as a consequence to the continuing development of urban areas in recent decades. The increase of impervious land areas can significantly alter watershed hydrology and water quality. Typical impacts to downstream hydrologic regimes include higher peak flows and runoff volumes, shorter concentration times, and reduced infiltration. Urban runoff increases the transport of pollutants and nutrients and thus degrades water bodies adjacent to urban areas. One of the most frequently used practices to restore the hydrology and water quality of urban watersheds is bioretention (also known as a rain garden). Despite its wide applicability, an understanding of its multiple physiochemical and biological treatment processes remains an active research area. To provide a wide ability to evaluate the hydrologic input to bioretention systems, spatial and temporal distribution of storm events in Virginia were studied. Results generated from long-term frequency analysis of 60-year precipitation data demonstrate that the 90 percentile, or 10-year return period rainfall depth and dry duration in Virginia are between 22.9 – 35.6 mm and 15.3 – 25.8 days, respectively. Monte-Carlo simulations demonstrated that sampling programs applied in different regions would likely encounter more than 30% of precipitation events less than 2.54 mm, and 10% over 25.4 mm. Further experimental research was conducted to evaluate bioretention recipes for retaining stormwater nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P). A mesocosm experiment was performed to simulate bioretention facilities with 3 different bioretention blends as media layers with underdrain pipes for leachate collection. A control group with 3 duplicates for each media was compared with a replicated vegetated group. Field measurement of dissolved oxygen (DO), oxidation-reduction potential (ORP), pH, and total dissolved solids (TDS) was combined with laboratory analyses of total suspended solids (TSS), nitrate (NO3), ammonium (NH4), phosphate (PO4), total Kjeldahl nitrogen (TKN) and total phosphorus (TP) to evaluate the nutrient removal efficacies of these blends. Physicochemical measurements for property parameters were performed to determine characteristics of blends. Isotherm experiments to examine P adsorption were also conducted to provide supplementary data for evaluation of bioretention media blends. The results show that the blend with water treatment residuals (WTR) removed >90% P from influent, and its effluent had the least TDS / TSS. Another blend with mulch-free compost retained the most (50 – 75%) total nitrogen (TN), and had the smallest DO / ORP values, which appears to promote denitrification under anaerobic conditions. Increase of hydraulic retention time (HRT) to 6 h could influence DO, ORP, TKN, and TN positively. Plant health should also be considered as part of a compromise mix that sustains vegetation. Two-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) found that single and interaction effects of HRT and plants existed, and could affect water quality parameters of mesocosm leachate. Based upon the understanding of the physiochemical and hydrologic conditions mentioned previously, a design model of a bioretention system became the next logical step. The computational model was developed within the Matlab® programming environment to describe the hydraulic performance and nutrient removal of a bioretention system. The model comprises a main function and multiple subroutines for hydraulics and treatment computations. Evapotranspiration (ET), inflow, infiltration, and outflow were calculated for hydrologic quantitation. Biomass accumulation, nitrogen cycle and phosphorus fate within bioretention systems were also computed on basis of the hydrologic outputs. The model was calibrated with the observed flow and water quality data from a field-scale bioretention in Blacksburg, VA. The calibrated model is capable of providing quantitative estimates on flow pattern and nutrient removal that agree with the observed data. Sensitivity analyses determined the major factors affecting discharge were: watershed width and roughness for inflow; pipe head and diameter for outflow. Nutrient concentrations in inflow are very influential to outflow quality. A long-term simulation demonstrates that the model can be used to estimate bioretention performance and evaluate its impact on the surrounding environment. This research advances the current understanding of bioretention systems in a systematic way, from hydrologic behavior, monitoring, design criteria, physiochemical performance, and computational modeling. The computational model, combined with the results from precipitation frequency analysis and evaluation of bioretention blends, can be used to improve the operation, maintenance, and design of bioretention facilities in practical applications. / Ph. D.

Climate and human activities impact the timing and quantity of streamflow and floods in different ways, with important implications for people and aquatic environments. Impacts of landscape changes on streamflow and floods are known, but few studies have explored the magnitude, duration and count of floods the landscape can influence. Understanding how floods are influenced by landscape structure provides insight into how, why and where floods have changed over time, and facilitates mapping the capacity of watersheds to regulate floods. In this study, I (1) compared nine flood-return periods of 31 watersheds across North Carolina and Virginia using long-term hydrologic records, (2) examined temporal trends in precipitation, stream flashiness, and the count, magnitude and duration of small and large floods for the same watersheds, and (3) developed a methodology to map the biophysical and technological capacity of eight urban watersheds to regulate floods. I found (1) floods with return periods ≤ 10 years can be managed by manipulating landscape structure, (2) precipitation and floods have decreased in the study watersheds while stream flashiness has increased between 1991 and 2013, (3) mapping both the biophysical and technological features of the landscape improved previous efforts of representing an urban landscape's capacity to regulate floods. My results can inform researchers and managers on the effect of anthropogenic change and management responses on floods, the efficacy of current strategies and policies to manage water resources, and the spatial distribution of a watershed's capacity to regulate flooding at a high spatial resolution. / Master of Science

As urban land expands across the globe and impervious surfaces continue to be used for constructing urban infrastructure, stormwater treatment costs and environmental damage from untreated stormwater will rise. Well designed urban landscapes can employ trees and soils to reduce stormwater runoff flowing to streams and treatment facilities. Typical urban soil, however, is compacted and restricts tree growth via high soil strength and inadequate gas exchange. A site preparation method that deeply incorporates compost and includes trees for long term carbon input and pore development was evaluated in the urban setting of Arlington, Virginia. Three species were used in that study of 25 streetside plantings. The site preparation affected soil at 15 30 cm by lowering soil bulk density by 13.3%, and increasing macro-aggregate-associated carbon by 151% compared to control plots, and resulted in 77% greater tree growth during the first year after transplant. In a second experiment, rainfall simulations were used to evaluate common landscape mulch materials for their ability to prevent compaction from traffic as well their affect on surface runoff before and after traffic. When plots were subjected to heavy rainfall, (>97 mm/h) mulches were found to reduce sediment loss 82% and 73% before and after traffic, respectively. Runoff rates from wood chips were only 0.19 ml/s faster after traffic while rates from bare soil and marble gravel with geotextile increased 2.28 and 2.56 ml/s, respectively. Management of soils, trees and landscapes for stormwater benefit could reduce cost of wastewater treatment for municipalities and can prevent environmental degradation. / Master of Science

Urban and agricultural runoff is the principal contributor to non-point source (NPS) pollution and subsequent impairments of streams, rivers, lakes, and estuaries. Urban and agricultural runoff is a major source of sediment, nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) loading to receiving waters. Coastal waters in the southeastern U.S. are vulnerable to human impacts due to the proximity to urban an agricultural land uses, and hydrologic connection of the Coastal Plain to receiving waters. To mitigate the impacts of urban and agricultural runoff, a variety of stormwater control measures (SCMs) are implemented. Despite the importance of the Coastal Plain on water quality and quantity, few studies are available that focus on prediction of nutrient and sediment runoff loads from Coastal Plain watersheds. The overall goals of my dissertation are to assess the effect of urban and agricultural watershed on coastal waters through monitoring and modeling, and to characterize treatment performance of SCMs. These goals are addressed in four independent studies. First, we developed the Storm Water Management Model (SWMM) and the Hydrologic Simulation Program-Fortran (HSPF) models for an urbanized watershed to compared the ability of these two models at simulating streamflow, peak flow, and baseflow. Three separate monitoring and modeling programs were conducted on: 1) six urban land uses (i.e. commercial, industrial, low density residential, high density residential, transportation, and open space); 2) container nursey; and 3) a Coastal Plain retention pond. This study provides methods for estimating watershed pollutant loads. This is a key missing link in implementing watershed improvement strategies and selecting the most appropriate urban BMPs at the local scale. Results of these projects will help urban planners, urban decision makers and ecological experts for long-term sustainable management of urbanized and agricultural watersheds. / Doctor of Philosophy / Urban and agricultural runoff is a major source of sediment, nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) loading to receiving waters. When in excess, these pollutants degrade water quality and threaten aquatic ecosystems. Coastal waters in the southeastern U.S. are vulnerable to human impacts due to the proximity to urban an agricultural landuse. To mitigate the impacts of urban and agricultural runoff, a variety of stormwater control measures (SCMs) are implemented. The overall goals of my dissertation are to assess the effect of urban and agricultural watershed on coastal waters through monitoring and modeling, and to characterize treatment performance of SCMs. These goals are addressed in four independent studies. First, we developed two watershed models the Storm Water Management Model (SWMM) and the Hydrologic Simulation Program-Fortran (HSPF) to simulate streamflow, peak flow, and baseflow within an urbanized watershed. Three separate monitoring programs were conducted on: (1) urban land uses (i.e. commercial, industrial, low density residential, high density residential, transportation, and open space); (2) container nursey; and (3) a Coastal Plain retention pond. These studies provided methods for estimating watershed pollutant loads. Results of these projects will help urban planners and ecological experts for long-term sustainable management of urbanized and agricultural watersheds.

Urban stormwater is today recognized as a significant source of pollution that has contributed to the deterioration of water quality in lakes and streams. Of the pollutants, metals are commonly occurring in stormwater and can cause major damage when released into the receiving waters. A promising treatment method for removing these metals before it reaches the receiving waters is to filter the water in various filter technologies such as catch basin inserts. In this study, the potential of five materials to remove dissolved copper (Cu) and zinc (Zn) from stormwater was investigated. The study was initiated with batch equilibrium tests to assess the sorption capacity of the materials at different metal concentrations relevant for stormwater. This was done in both single and binary batches to investigate whether or not any competitive sorption occurred between the metals. Langmuir, Freundlich and Sips isotherm models were adapted to the obtained data. Through geochemical modelling, it was also possible to investigate whether precipitation of metals was likely. Finally, kinetic studies were conducted to investigate whether the reaction rate of Cu and Zn was relevant in the context of catch basin inserts. The results showed that the biochar had the highest sorption capacity followed by peat, bark, milkweed, and polypropylene. It could also be noted that Cu competed with Zn binding sites at high concentrations and that the sorption capacity of biochar, peat and bark, at concentrations between 50-100 μg/l Cu and 50-500 μg/l Zn, was sufficient to meet the limits set for stormwater emissions. For these sorbents, the reaction rate was also significant. Kinetics tests showed that at an initial concentration of 1,000 μg/l, 83% of the metals were sorbed after 5 minutes and after 10 minutes this number was 93%. Bark and peat also showed low effluent pH and leaching of dissolved organic carbon (DOC). The Langmuir and pseudo-second order equation could be well adapted to the data while geochemical modelling showed that precipitation of metals was unlikely. This suggests that chemical adsorption may be the mechanism that largely accounted for the removal of Cu and Zn. The results of this study can hardly be used to estimate the field performance of stormwater filters, but can be used as a basis for comparing and selecting sorbents for subsequent column tests. / I denna studie undersöktes potentialen för fem material att avskilja löst koppar (Cu) och zink (Zn) från dagvatten. Studien inleddes med skaktest för att testa sorptionsförmågan hos materialen vid olika metallkoncentrationer relevant för dagvatten. Detta gjordes i både singel och binära test för att undersöka om någon konkurrerande sorption skedde mellan metallerna. Langmuirs, Freundlichs och Sips isotermmodeller anpassades även till resultatet. Genom geokemisk modellering var det även möjlig att undersöka om utfällning av metaller var sannolik. Till sist gjordes kinetiska studier för att undersöka om reaktionshastigheten för sorption av Cu och Zn till filtermaterialen var relevanta i ett brunnsfiltersammanhang. Resultaten visar att biokol hade den största sorptionsförmågan följt av torv, bark, sidenört och polypropylen. Det kunde även konstateras att koppar konkurrerade om sorptionsplatser för zink vid högre koncentrationer och att sorptionskapaciteten för biokol, torv och bark, vid koncentrationer mellan 50-100 µg/l Cu och 50-500 µg/l Zn, är tillräckligt hög för att uppfylla gränsvärdena för utsläpp av dagvatten. För dessa sorbenter var reaktionshastigheten betydande. Kinetiktesten visade att vid en initial koncentration på 1,000 µg/L var 83% av metallerna sorberade efter 5 minuter och efter 10 minuter var denna siffra uppe i 93%. Bark and torv uppvisade även ett lågt uppmätt pH och lakade löst organisk kol (DOC). Langmuir och pseudo-andra ordningens ekvation kunde anpassas väl till datat samtidigt som den geokemiska modelleringen visade att utfällning av metaller var osannolikt. Detta antyder att kemisk adsorption kan vara den mekanism som till störst del stod för avskiljningen av Cu och Zn. Studien kan inte fastställa något om filtermaterialens fältprestanda, men kan användas som underlag för att jämföra och att välja sorbenter för efterföljande kolumntester. / Formas project 2016-75

Floating treatment wetlands (FTWs) are an innovative best management practice that can enhance the performance of traditional retention ponds by increasing removal of the nutrients nitrogen (N) and phosphorous (P). FTWs consist of floating rafts on which wetland plants are planted, allowing the roots to be submerged below the water surface while the shoots remain above. A growing body of research has documented FTW performance with regard to urban runoff treatment, however evaluation of FTW effectiveness for treatment of agricultural runoff has received less attention. Due to high fertilization and irrigation rates, commercial nursery runoff contains much higher concentrations of N and P than runoff from urban areas. We conducted this study over two growing seasons (2015 and 2016) to assess the effectiveness of FTWs for use in commercial nursery retention ponds. In the first study we used two different nutrient concentrations, one to simulate nursery runoff (17.1 mg∙L-1 TN and 2.61 mg∙L-1 TP) and one to simulate concentrations that fall between urban and nursery runoff (5.22 mg∙L-1 TN and 0.52 mg∙L-1 TP). Four treatments were used: 1) Pontederia cordata planted in cups supported by a Beemat, 2) Juncus effusus planted in cups supported by a Beemat, 3) a Beemat with no plants, and 4) no treatment (open-water). Performance was evaluated based on a 7-day hydraulic retention time (HRT). Pontederia cordata removed between 90.3% and 92.4% of total phosphorus (TP) and 84.3% and 88.9% total nitrogen (TN), depending on initial loads. These reductions were significantly more than other treatments at both high and low nutrient loading rates. Juncus effusus performed better than the control treatments for TP removal at low nutrient concentrations, but did not perform any better than the control at higher nutrient loads. In the second study, conducted in 2016, we evaluated different plant species over two 8-week trials using simulated nursery runoff. We used five monoculture FTWs with the following species: Agrostis alba, Canna ×generalis, Carex stricta, Iris ensata, and Panicum virgatum. Additionally, two treatments were created from mixed species plantings and the final treatment consisted of an open water control mesocosm. Nutrient removal performance was evaluated over a 7-day HRT. P removal (phosphate-P) by FTW treatments ranged from 26.1% to 64.7% for trial 1 and 26.8% to 63.2% for trial 2. Trial 1 N removal (sum of ammonium-N, nitrate-N, and nitrite-N) efficiencies ranged from 38.9% to 82.4%, and trial 2 ranged from 12.9% to 59.6%. Panicum virgatum removed significantly more N and P than the control and any other FTW treatment in the second study. Both studies indicated, depending upon plant species, that FTWs can effectively remove nitrogen and phosphorous from urban and commercial nursery retention ponds. / Master of Science / Floating treatment wetlands (FTWs) are used to enhance the nutrient removal performance of stormwater retention ponds. FTWs consist of a buoyant raft on which wetland plants are planted, allowing the shoots to extend above the water surface while the roots stay submerged. The purpose of this research was to evaluate FTW nutrient removal performance in a commercial nursery environment where runoff has much higher concentrations of nitrogen and phosphorous than urban stormwater. The study spanned across two growing seasons (2015 and 2016), during which, different plant species and nutrient concentrations where evaluated. The first study evaluated Pontederia cordata and Juncus effuses as well as two control treatments at a high nutrient concentration and a low nutrient concentration. The Pontederia cordata performed better than the other treatments at both the high and low initial nutrient concentrations. In the second study, the following species were evaluated using a combination of mixed and monoculture plantings: Agrostis alba, Canna ×generalis, Carex stricta, Iris ensata, and Panicum virgatum. Panicum virgatum removed significantly more nitrogen and phosphorous than any other FTW treatment in the second study. Both studies indicated that FTWs can be effective technologies for nutrient removal from urban and commercial nursery retention ponds.

Today cities are consuming 75% of the world’s resources, which puts significant pressure on areas far from the cities themselves (Stockholm Resilience Center 2022). Food is among the largest drivers of global environmental change contributing to climate change, biodiversity loss, freshwater use, interference with the global nitrogen and phosphorus cycles and land-system change (C40 2024). This thesis describes a proposal for collecting and distributing rain- and stormwater within the context of urban farming and gardening. It explores how design can be a part of creating and promoting self-sufficient cities that are less resource intensive than they are today. Through the lens of Transition Design the proposal are aiming for a positive, system level change and a transition toward desirable long term futures. It can be divided in three sections, The Urban Farmer, The Vessel and The Wooden Aqueducts. The Urban Farmers would live in apartments throughout the city, forming a network of colleagues. The people in the neighborhood would get more understanding of the work that their local farmers do, and they would get more aware of where their food comes from. The vessel collects rain and stormwater and then distributes it when needed. It could act as an object not only for the use of water, but also as a way of sparking discussion, and just as it directs water to the trees, it just as well directs our minds and our attention towards them. The Wooden Aqueducts, inspired by the old craft, could potentially be created as a community practice to engage residents in the surrounding area. When the aqueducts are no longer needed they can remain at the site and be allowed to molder to make the cycles of organic matter visible and to challenge what is considered to be a well managed area. The Urban Farmer, The Vessel and The Wooden Aqueducts are all means to a future vision through a combination of short term, long term, small and big solutions and suggestions.

In an era of pervasive water stress caused by population growth, urbanization, drought, and climate change, limiting the dissemination of microbial contaminants of emerging concern (MCECs) is of the utmost importance for the protection of public health. In this dissertation, two important subsets of MCECs, opportunistic pathogens (OP) and antibiotic resistant genes (ARG), are studied across several compartments of the urban water cycle, including surface water, stormwater, wastewater, recycled water, and potable water. Collectively, this dissertation advances knowledge about the occurrence of OPs and ARGs across these water systems and highlights trends that may be of value in developing management strategies for limiting their regrowth and transmission. Field studies of two surface water catchments impacted by stormwater runoff demonstrated the prevalence of ARGs in urban stormwater compared to pristine, unimpacted sites, or to days when no precipitation was recorded. The role of wastewater reuse in transmitting OPs and ARGs was also investigated. Traditional tertiary wastewater treatment plants producing water for non-potable use were found to be largely ineffective at removing ARGs, but plants using advanced oxidation processes or ozonation paired with biofiltration to produce direct potable reuse water were highly effective at removing ARGs. Non-potable reclaimed water consistently had greater quantities of sul1, a sulfonamide ARG, and Legionella and Mycobacterium, two OPs of significant public health concern, present than corresponding potable systems. Limited regrowth of OPs and ARGs did occur in simulated premise (i.e., building) plumbing systems operated with direct potable reuse waters, but regrowth was comparable to that observed in systems fed with potable water derived from surface or groundwater. Advancements were also made in understanding the role of several hypothesized driving forces shaping the antibiotic resistome in natural and engineered water systems: selection by antimicrobials and other compounds, horizontal gene transfer, and microbial community composition. Finally, whole-genome and metagenomic characterization were applied together towards profiling L. pneumophila in clinical and water samples collected from Flint, Michigan, where an economically-motivated switch to an alternative water source created conditions favorable for growth of this organism and likely triggered one of the largest Legionnaires' Disease outbreaks in U.S. history. / PHD / Population growth, urbanization, drought, and climate change have all driven many U.S. municipalities to utilize alternative water sources, such as recycled wastewater, to offset demand on traditional potable water sources. Many water providers have moved towards a modern paradigm of utilizing multiple available water sources, recognizing the interconnectedness of various components of the urban water cycle, leading to opportunities to improve sustainability, optimize infrastructure use, stimulate economic growth, increase coordination among water agencies, and identify new water resources from which to meet consumer needs. Though advancements in treatment technologies throughout the twentieth century have largely succeeded in eliminating waterborne disease outbreaks associated with contamination of municipal water supplies by fecal pathogens in developed countries, several microbial contaminants of emerging concern (MCECs) have garnered attention. Two major groups of MCECs are considered in this dissertation: antibiotic resistance, including antibiotic resistant bacteria (ARB) and antibiotic resistance genes (ARG), and opportunistic pathogens (OP), such as Legionella pneumophila, the causative agent of Legionnaires’ Disease. ARB are a rising cause of disease around the world and are a major challenge to modern medicine because they make antibiotics used for treatment ineffective. OPs, the leading cause of waterborne disease in the U.S. and other developed countries, have become prevalent in engineered water systems where low nutrient concentrations, warm water temperatures, and long stagnation times can facilitate their growth. Immunocompromised people, including smokers and the elderly, are especially vulnerable to infection with OPs. The role of the urban water cycle in facilitating the spread of these MCECs is not well understood. Here they were studied across several compartments of the urban water cycle, including surface water, stormwater, wastewater, recycled water (spanning a variety of intended uses, from non-potable to direct potable reuse), and potable water. Field studies were conducted of two watersheds impacted by stormwater runoff, one in the arid Colorado Front Range under conditions of a rare, 1-in-1,000 year rainfall event, and one in the humid climate of southwest Virginia, during three summer storms. Both studies demonstrated the prevalence of ARGs in urban stormwater compared to pristine, unimpacted sites, or to days when no precipitation was recorded. The role of wastewater reuse in transmitting OPs and ARGs was also investigated. Wastewater treatment plants producing water for non-potable use (i.e. applications such as irrigation, but not for human consumption) were found to be largely inefficient at removing ARGs, and this reclaimed water consistently had greater quantities of the sul1 ARG present than in corresponding potable systems. In these systems, genes associated with the OPs Legionella and Mycobacterium as well as total bacteria were more abundant in reclaimed water than in corresponding potable systems. In more advanced treatment plants utilizing advanced oxidation processes or ozonation paired with biofiltration to produce direct potable reuse water (i.e. water fit for human consumption), ARGs were very effectively removed by treatment, with abundances often found to be higher in corresponding potable waters derived from surface or groundwater. Limited regrowth of ARGs as well as OPs did occur in simulated home plumbing systems operated with these waters, but regrowth was comparable to that observed in systems fed with potable water derived from surface or groundwater. Finally, a study of L. pneumophila in the Flint, Michigan drinking water system during use of an alternative water source that has been identified as a likely cause of two Legionnaires’ Disease outbreaks revealed presence of multiple strains of the OP in the system. Genomic comparisons revealed that strains isolated from hospital and residential water samples were highly similar to clinical strains associated with the outbreaks. Advancements were also made in understanding the role of several hypothesized driving forces in shaping the antibiotic resistome in natural and engineered water systems: selection by antimicrobials and other compounds, horizontal gene transfer, and microbial community composition. Together, these chapters describe an advancement in knowledge regarding the occurrence of OPs and ARGs in a variety of water systems, and highlight trends that may be of value in developing management strategies for limiting regrowth or transmission of these bacteria in various compartments of the urban water cycle.

Thesis (M. En.)--Miami University, Institute of Environmental Sciences, 2005. / Title from first page of PDF document. Document formatted into pages; contains [1], v, 101 p. : ill. Includes bibliographical references (p. 63-64).

Hamrebäcken rinner genom östra delen av Västerås och har Mälaren som recipient. Under bäckens flödesväg tillkommer dagvatten och föroreningar i form av näringsämnen och tungmetaller från dess avrinningsområde. Bäcken utgör ett av de mest prioriterade vattendragen i Västerås gällande utsläpp av dagvatten. Detta examensarbete har utförts med syftet att utreda föroreningssituationen för Hamrebäcken och hur dess recipient Mälaren påverkas. Examensarbetet syftade även till att undersöka reningseffekten för en befintlig dagvattendamm samt att utifrån ett kostnads- och reningsperspektiv beskriva ett antal åtgärdsförslag för att uppnå en förbättring av bäckens ekologiska och kemiska status. Utvärdering av Hamrebäckens föroreningsbelastning samt reningseffekt för befintlig dagvattendamm och åtgärdsförslag utfördes med hjälp av den Excelbaserade dagvatten- och recipientmodellen StormTac.   Resultatet från studien visade att den modellerade belastningen från flera av bäckens delavrinningsområden överskrider föreslagna riktvärden för mindre vattendrag. Den totala belastningen från Hamrebäckens avrinningsområde överskrider i fallet för föroreningarna bly och suspenderat material även föreslagna riktvärden för Mälaren. Modellering av den befintliga dammen indikerar att anläggningen är underdimensionerad i förhållande till dess belastningsyta. Dammens reningseffekt uppnår inte heller effektmålen i Västerås stads handlingsplan för dagvatten. Ett förslag om utbyggnation av dammen har tagits fram utifrån litteraturstudie och tillgänglig yta för åtgärden. Den simulerade ombyggnationen uppnådde inte uppsatta effektmål men gav en betydande ökning i reningseffekt. Åtgärder som syftar till att öka dammens avskiljningsförmåga bör därför utredas ytterligare.   Fyra ytterligare åtgärdsförslag togs fram och reningseffekten av dessa modellerades i StormTac. Detta inkluderade två olika placeringar av dagvattendammar, en skärmbassäng med flytande våtmark, samt en konstruerad våtmark. Från genomförd modellering rekommenderas vidare utredning av åtgärdsförslagen inkluderande ett anläggande av en skärmbassäng med flytande våtmark, alternativt en konstruerad våtmark. Detta då dessa åtgärdsförslag uppnådde effektmålen för rening enligt Västerås stads handlingsplan för dagvatten. Åtgärdsförslagen skilde sig något åt gällande kostnadseffektivitet. Detta ansågs dock inte ensamt vara argument nog för att motivera anläggning av något åtgärdsförslag till följd av osäkerheter i det beräknade resultatet. Att en skärmbassäng kan utföras i närtid och inte kräver några ingrepp i avrinningsområdet kan anses som ytterligare argument för installation av anläggningen. En konstruerad våtmark kan i sin tur motiveras med att anläggningen bidrar till att höja det estetiska och ekologiska värdet av området. Dessa argument bör beaktas i valet av metod och det fortsatta arbetet med att minska områdets föroreningsbelastning och förbättra bäckens ekologiska och kemiska status. / Hamrebäcken is a small stream in Västerås, which flows through the eastern part of the city. Along it’s course to Lake Mälaren, the stream receives polluted stormwater containing such as heavy metals and nutrients. The primary objective of this master thesis was to investigate the level of pollutants in Hamrebäcken. A secondary objective was to study the reduction efficiency of an existing wet stormwater treatment pond in the area, and propose ways in which to achieve a higher ecological and chemical status for the stream. The stormwater and recipient software model StormTac was used to estimate the level of pollutants and to investigate the reduction efficiencies of different stormwater treatment facilities.   The study revealed that pollutant levels were too high for several of the subwatersheds, based on the recommended guidance for small streams. The pollutant load for the total watershed exceeded the guidance levels for Lake Mälaren for lead and suspended solids. Modelling the reduction efficiency of the existing wet pond indicated that the pond’s size was inadequate to cater for the quantity of incoming stormwater in need of treatment. Subsequently, the pollution reduction efficiency of the pond was not meeting those objectives set out in the Stormwater Action Plan developed by Västerås municipality. A proposal for rebuilding the pond was therefore developed, taking into account the existing conditions of the area and using recommendations from literature. When modeled in StormTac, the modified pond showed a substantial increase in reduction efficiency compared to that of the existing pond. Despite not reaching the objectives of the Action Plan, this suggested that it would be beneficial to investigate measures that increase the reduction efficiency of the existing wet pond further. As a result, an additional four alternatives for reducing the pollutant load of Hamrebäcken were developed using StormTac. These consisted of two wet stormwater treatment ponds at different locations within the watershed, a screen basin with floating treatment wetlands, and a constructed wetland.   The modeling revealed that the most feasible of the investigated measures was an installation of either a screen basin with floating treatment wetlands or a constructed wetland, both measures adjacent to the outlet of Hamrebäcken. This was mainly due to the modeled reduction capacity of these measures where the reduction objectives of the Action Plan were reached. A difference in cost effectiveness was found between the different measures. This was however not considered to solely be argument to justify the implementation of a certain measure due to uncertainties in the modelled result. The fact that a screen basin can be installed in the near future and without occupying space in the watershed are additional arguments for the use of this measure. A constructed wetland can in return be motivated by a potential increase in esthetic and ecological value of the area. These arguments should be considered in the continued investigation of choosing a measure for reducing the pollutant load of Hamrebäcken and to achieve a higher ecological and chemical status for the stream.