Stormwater runoff from urbanized areas can have detrimental impacts on groundwater and surface water supplies by mobilizing contaminants such as bacteria and nutrients from surrounding areas. Best Management Practices (BMPs) are commonly designed to mitigate these impacts, but the processes governing the effectiveness of these BMPs are often not well understood. Biofiltration BMPs, which include storage, sediment removal, and infiltration processes, are particularly challenging to quantify. This research involved an investigation of the processes associated with a biofiltration BMP located in West Boylston, MA adjacent to the Wachusett Reservoir. The basin treats runoff from an 8-acre watershed with two roadways (Routes 12 and 110) and surrounding residential and commercial land uses. Water exits the basin by either seepage directly to groundwater or by seepage through a two-foot filtration bed to an outfall pipe on one side of the basin. A field sampling program was conducted in collaboration with the Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation to characterize the various flow paths of contaminants upstream, within, and downstream of the biofiltration facility. The program included collection of volumetric flow information, field parameters (dissolved oxygen, specific conductance, pH, and temperature), and water quality samples. Samples were tested for alkalinity, bacteria, dissolved organic carbon, nutrients, additional anions and cations, and suspended sediments. Stormwater samples were collected for storm events that included substantial rainfall and illustrated seasonal variability. A set of seven monitoring wells installed for this project provided information on groundwater flow and quality at the site. The field program provided quantitative data on the flows and transformations that occur within and in the groundwater downstream of the biofiltration basin. The results demonstrated that stormwater infiltration to groundwater is an important component to consider for BMP design. The flow path through the outfall was effective in removing sediments, but was found to have limited capacity for water quality treatment, since only small changes in stormwater quality occurred between the culvert inflow, basin, and outfall samples. However, analysis of the flow data showed that infiltration to groundwater was comparable to discharge through the outfall. Furthermore, the signatures of stormwater infiltration could still be seen in the wells, indicating that the infiltration from the stormwater basin can impact groundwater quality. The groundwater pathway was found to impact the chemistry of the constituents, and was particularly effective in removing bacteria and phosphorus. The results demonstrate the value of groundwater recharge as a component of BMP design, and provide a basis for a number of specific design recommendations related to biofiltration basins.

Urban stormwater runoff is recognised as a substantial source of heavy metal contamination, which adversely impacts on water quality of regional receiving waterways. Conventional treatment of urban runoff mostly involves a filtration system using sand to retain particulate matters. Sand provides limited sorption of dissolved metals and the inclusion of commercial sorbents to these treatment systems is not cost effective due to the concentration of dissolved metals in the runoff. Recycled organic materials are by-products or waste from industrial or agricultural operations, and could be alternative low cost sorbents for stormwater treatment systems. The use of recycled sorbents also provides added value to the waste materials and reduces landfill disposal. The research explores the application of compost, zeolite, ash, and recyclable waste in urban runoff treatment, especially for dissolved metal removal. The research combines the two aspects of experimental studies and management analysis to develop a holistic approach to heavy metal control in urban stormwater systems. Experimental results of batch sorption test show that compost is suitable for removing dissolve copper in stormwater treatment. The comparison of the different mixing ratios between compost and glass beads in column test evaluates the optimum mixing sorbent and performance over a long period for copper removal. Substance Flow Analysis (SFA) of copper has been performed in the Upper Parramatta River Catchment, Sydney to identify the sources of copper associated with runoff, effect of using waste material such as compost in urban stormwater treatment and the copper load in urban stormwater runoff. This case study shows the relationship between copper input, copper stock, sorbent type and urban stormwater quality control in the system boundary of the catchment. Different scenarios of source control are evaluated to control copper load from the different sources. Source control focusing on roads and vehicles is the most effective copper control strategy. The combination of source control and stormwater treatment reduces copper in stormwater and receiving water. The thesis applies the analysis from SFA and experimental results to derive both a regional system-wide solution with source control, and an improved design of stormwater treatment for heavy metal removal using recycled organics.

Urbanization, which is ever increasing on a global scale, can negatively affect wildlife and habitat as well as biotic realms including air, soil, and water. One of the impacts of urbanization is urban runoff. A method commonly employed to mitigate runoff is the construction of stormwater management ponds (SWMPs). These ponds have created new habitat for urban wildlife, especially waterfowl such as Canada geese and mallard ducks. In some municipalities, increased numbers and densities of waterfowl near SWMPs are considered a nuisance due to their large numbers, considerable amount of fecal matter and because they may create health hazards. This research specifically examines the influence of species composition and height of vegetation around SWMPs on waterfowl use and whether changes in Escherichia coli counts are attributed to waterfowl use. Ponds were visited 140 times between April 2005 and June 2006. At each site, the number of Canada geese, mallard ducks, and other waterfowl species was recorded. Geese significantly preferred ponds with short vegetation (F = 53.45, p < 0.0001) and ducks exhibited no preference (F= 2.17, p = 0.347). The time (day) that observations were made was a factor indicating that there were temporal variations among seasons; geese were slightly more affected by time (F = 16.08, p < 0.0001) than ducks (F = 11.18, p < 0.001). This was not surprising given that waterfowl generally migrate locally across seasons. This result also supported the hypothesis that geese respond to changes in vegetation height. The influence of time coincides with the development of vegetation between spring and summer. Geese moved to the ponds with short vegetation as the growing season progressed, whereas they tended to avoid ponds with more naturalized vegetation due to the increased height. From a management perspective, municipalities can discourage nuisance geese at SWMPs through the naturalization of ponds and decreasing the level of maintenance via less mowing. There was no significant correlation between waterfowl use of ponds and E. coli counts. The Pearson’s correlation ranged from -0.152 to 0.990, associated p values ranged from 0.07 to 0.981. While further study is required, it appears that waterfowl do not offer any noticeable addition of E. coli to stormwater management ponds beyond what is already in the water column from other sources. Therefore, waterfowl may not present a health threat, at least within the pond itself.

Urbanization, which is ever increasing on a global scale, can negatively affect wildlife and habitat as well as biotic realms including air, soil, and water. One of the impacts of urbanization is urban runoff. A method commonly employed to mitigate runoff is the construction of stormwater management ponds (SWMPs). These ponds have created new habitat for urban wildlife, especially waterfowl such as Canada geese and mallard ducks. In some municipalities, increased numbers and densities of waterfowl near SWMPs are considered a nuisance due to their large numbers, considerable amount of fecal matter and because they may create health hazards. This research specifically examines the influence of species composition and height of vegetation around SWMPs on waterfowl use and whether changes in Escherichia coli counts are attributed to waterfowl use. Ponds were visited 140 times between April 2005 and June 2006. At each site, the number of Canada geese, mallard ducks, and other waterfowl species was recorded. Geese significantly preferred ponds with short vegetation (F = 53.45, p < 0.0001) and ducks exhibited no preference (F= 2.17, p = 0.347). The time (day) that observations were made was a factor indicating that there were temporal variations among seasons; geese were slightly more affected by time (F = 16.08, p < 0.0001) than ducks (F = 11.18, p < 0.001). This was not surprising given that waterfowl generally migrate locally across seasons. This result also supported the hypothesis that geese respond to changes in vegetation height. The influence of time coincides with the development of vegetation between spring and summer. Geese moved to the ponds with short vegetation as the growing season progressed, whereas they tended to avoid ponds with more naturalized vegetation due to the increased height. From a management perspective, municipalities can discourage nuisance geese at SWMPs through the naturalization of ponds and decreasing the level of maintenance via less mowing. There was no significant correlation between waterfowl use of ponds and E. coli counts. The Pearson’s correlation ranged from -0.152 to 0.990, associated p values ranged from 0.07 to 0.981. While further study is required, it appears that waterfowl do not offer any noticeable addition of E. coli to stormwater management ponds beyond what is already in the water column from other sources. Therefore, waterfowl may not present a health threat, at least within the pond itself.

Stormwater is the component of runoff that is generated by human activities, and has gradually become a key issue in achieving sustainability in urban environments. When vegetation and soils are replaced with roads and buildings, less rainwater infiltrates into the ground or is taken up by vegetation, and more becomes surface runoff. A greater area of impervious surfaces leads to increased stormwater runoff volume and velocity, and consequently increases the risk off looding and erosion. Being able to reduce stream flows and pollution of surface flows, green roofs are one technology that may help in alleviating this storm water crisis. This thesis developed a different and effective methodology for quantifying the effects of green roofs on stormwater runoff and calculating the runoff volume and rate for residential housing communities before and after applying green roofs. The method utilizes local climate data like rainfall and evapotranspiration rate, the water use properties of vegetation like crop coefficients of plants, and the areas of impervious surfaces; and then compares the different effects of green roofs in different locations having disparate climatic conditions. It was found that the best way to achieve zero runoff was to green a portion of the total rooftop area and disconnect all impervious surfaces. Implications of this methodology on city planning and site design and for future research are then discussed.

No description available.

Urban development leads to increased impermeable landscapes that interrupt the hydrological cycle by creating an impermeable barrier to the natural infiltration of precipitation. Precipitate, unable to infiltrate, flows over impermeable surfaces as sheet runoff, carrying the pollutants from the land with it; thus comprising the quality of the stormwater. The runoff is redirected (frequently untreated) to nearby waterways altering their water quality and quantity, thereby, adversely affecting receiving aquatic ecosystems. Suspended solids and elevated heavy metal concentrations in stormwater are the leading causes of water quality degradation in urban waterways in New Zealand. It is widely reported that vehicles and metal roofs are a major direct source of the key pollutants (total suspended solids (TSS) and heavy metals) in stormwater runoff; however, the contribution of atmospheric deposition, as an indirect source, in stormwater runoff is rarely considered. This is principally due to the many uncertainties and challenges with measuring and managing these pollutants in stormwater runoff. Therefore, a monitoring programme into the dynamics controlling atmospherically derived pollutant build-up and wash-off from urban surfaces was conducted. In particular, this research focused on the spatial and temporal variability of Cu, Zn, Pb, and TSS deposition in different land-use areas; the influence of pavement type on atmospherically-deposited pollutant loads in stormwater; and the contribution of wet deposition and dry deposition to the total deposition loads. Impermeable concrete boards (≈ 1 m2) were deployed for 11 months in different land-use areas (industrial, residential and airside) in Christchurch, New Zealand, to capture spatially distributed atmospheric deposition loads in runoff over varying meteorological conditions. Mixed-effect regression models were developed to explain the influence of different meteorological characteristics on pollutant build-up and wash-off dynamics. Next, impermeable asphalt, permeable asphalt, impermeable concrete, and permeable concrete boards were deployed for two months in a residential land-use area to determine the influence of pavement composition and roughness on pollutant loads in stormwater. Finally, wet deposition samples were analysed in an industrial land-use area for 8 months to monitor the contribution of wet deposition to atmospherically-deposited pollutant loads. All samples were analysed for total and dissolved Cu, Zn, Pb, and TSS. Pavement type: Results showed that both impermeable and permeable concrete were efficient at retaining Cu and Zn. Bitumen leaching from the impermeable asphalt was a significant source of Zn to runoff. However, bitumen leaching from the permeable asphalt did not contain elevated Zn loads. Infiltrate from the permeable asphalt provided little/no removal of Cu and Zn. Impermeable asphalt provided greater retention of TSS and Pb over impermeable concrete because its rougher surface entrapped more particulates. TSS and Pb loads were the lowest from the permeable pavements due to the pavers filtering out particulates. Spatial variability: Results showed that all three land-use areas exhibited similar patterns of varying metal and TSS loads, indicating that atmospherically-deposited metals and TSS had a homogenous distribution within the Christchurch airshed. This suggested that the pollutants originated from a similar source and that the surrounding land-use was not an important factor in determining atmospheric pollutant loads to stormwater runoff. Although, higher pollutant loads were found for the industrial area, this was attributed to local topographic conditions rather than land-use activity. Temporal variability: Results illustrated the importance of antecedent dry days on pollutant build-up. Peak rainfall intensity and rain duration had a significant relationship with TSS and Pb wash-off; rain depth had a significant relationship with Cu and Zn wash-off. This suggested that the pollutant speciation phase plays an important role in surface wash-off. Rain intensity and duration influenced particulate pollutants, whereas, rain depth influenced dissolved pollutants. Additionally, mixed-effect models could predict approximately 53-69% of the variation in airborne pollutant loads in runoff. Deposition pathways: Wet deposition was an important contributor of dissolved Zn to stormwater runoff. However, dry deposition was the greatest source of total Cu, Zn, and Pb loads in stormwater runoff. This is principally due to the low annual rainfall in Christchurch limiting pollutant removal via wet deposition unlike dry deposition, which is continually occurring. Understanding the dynamics of airborne pollutant deposition and their contribution to stormwater pollution could help stormwater managers in strategic decision-making processes such as choice of location and installation of different treatment systems.

In order to control stormwater runoff engineers and hydrologists have used various techniques to attempt to reduce or delay the volume of water which reaches the sewer system. Recently, international approaches have favoured the idea of "source control" or "on-site" retention. This technique stores water in areas close to the point at which precipitation lands. Permeable pavements and similar stormwater control devices have not been exploited in the United Kingdom. Their adoption has been hindered by a lack of knowledge of their hydrological performance. This research aims to produce information on the hydrological performance of a car park surface and to produce a model which can predict the hydrological response to varying rainfall inputs. The objective of this thesis is to examine the hydrological behaviour of a model car park surface under varying rainfall conditions. The study has involved the construction of full-scale permeable pavement model car park structures and a rainfall simulator for use in the laboratory. A monitoring procedure was developed in order to measure inputs and changes in drainage, storage and evaporation over short (less than 2 hours) and long (up to 3 months) time scales. A range of rainfall simulations were applied to the model car park surfaces which differed in intensity, duration and volume. Hydrological processes were monitored over an 18 month period. Results suggest that evaporation, discharge and retention in the structures were strongly influenced by the particle size of the bedding material and the surface blocks. In general an average of 55% of a 15 mm 11-1 rainfall event could be retained by an initially dry structure. Subsequent simulations suggest that approximately 30% of a 15 mm rainfall event could be stored by an initially wet structure (with a minimum time interval of 72 hours). Sediments were also applied to the car park structures in order to monitor the effects of clogging on hydrological performance and to quantify the ability of the structures to act as a primary screening site for sediments. The application of sediments to the structure showed that evaporation from the structure increased by as much as 25-30%. Laboratory simulation of clogging effects was also compared to data gathered from field sites and the results suggested that laboratory simulations provided a good approximation of the migration of sediments in the structure. A model of the hydrological performance of the structure has been developed to be used as a predictive tool. The model relates rainfall inputs to water retention and discharge output over consecutive rainfall events. It also allows evaporation and long-term retention by the structure to be estimated over differing lengths of dry periods. The model results indicate that discharge was predicted to an accuracy of 78% (based on a percentage difference between the observed and predicted values), and evaporation and retention were predicted to an accuracy of 80%.

I reviewed 32 urban amphibian studies from North America and found most amphibians respond negatively to urbanization (69 negative responses, 6 positive and 35 no effect). Additionally, I conducted amphibian surveys (adult, egg, larvae, and metamorphs) at 75 wetlands located throughout the City of Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, with a focus on the wood frog (Lithobates sylvaticus). Wetlands consisted of natural river valley and upland sites, and constructed stormwater wetlands. Breeding male wood frogs occured at 50% of stormwater wetlands versus 93% of natural wetlands. The presence of breeding males was best predicted by the proportion of native vegetation within 100 m of a wetland. Wood frogs successfullly reproduced on stormwater wetlands but relative abundances of eggs, tadpoles and metamorphs were lower than at natural sites. However, stormwater metamorphs were significantly larger which may contribute to higher survivorship and subsequent reproductive success. Stormwater wetlands are required to control flooding and run-off, therefore, future amphibian conservation efforts should focus on preserving native terrestrial habitat surrounding urban wetlands. / Ecology

Stormwater is the component of runoff that is generated by human activities, and has gradually become a key issue in achieving sustainability in urban environments. When vegetation and soils are replaced with roads and buildings, less rainwater infiltrates into the ground or is taken up by vegetation, and more becomes surface runoff. A greater area of impervious surfaces leads to increased stormwater runoff volume and velocity, and consequently increases the risk off looding and erosion. Being able to reduce stream flows and pollution of surface flows, green roofs are one technology that may help in alleviating this storm water crisis. This thesis developed a different and effective methodology for quantifying the effects of green roofs on stormwater runoff and calculating the runoff volume and rate for residential housing communities before and after applying green roofs. The method utilizes local climate data like rainfall and evapotranspiration rate, the water use properties of vegetation like crop coefficients of plants, and the areas of impervious surfaces; and then compares the different effects of green roofs in different locations having disparate climatic conditions. It was found that the best way to achieve zero runoff was to green a portion of the total rooftop area and disconnect all impervious surfaces. Implications of this methodology on city planning and site design and for future research are then discussed.