subject: What Is Stormwater Management? [print this page] What Is Stormwater Management? What Is Stormwater Management?
Stormwater management is the procedure or the action of taking care of the quantity and quality of stormwater. This includes structural or manufactured control devices and systems (e.g. retention ponds) designed for treating dirty stormwater, and also operational or procedural practices. Management of stormwater is very important, especially in urban areas where stormwater runoff is often an issue.
Stormwater is not just water that is brought by down pours and stormy weather. The term is applied to almost all water coming from precipitation events, including snowfall and runoff water from overwatering. Stormwater is of concern for a couple main reasons. One particular reason relates to the volume and time of runoff water (such as flood control and water supplies) and the other relates to the likely impurities that the water is carrying.
In contrast to loose earth or sand, impervious surfaces such as car parking lots, streets, buildings, and compacted earth will not allow water to filter into the ground. This is the reason far more runoff water can be generated within metropolitan areas and urbanized locations in comparison with non-urban or forested regions. This is unfortunate and will end up being hazardous to the environment because as opposed to getting spent as runoff water, it could have refreshed groundwater or supply stream base flow in dry conditions.
Stormwater management research has shown that further runoff will erode watercourses, like streams and rivers, as well as cause floods if the stormwater collection system is overpowered with the excess flow. If not effectively handled, runoff water due to substantial or ongoing rainfall might cause severe damage to human lives and property.
Polluted runoff might result from pollutants getting into surface waters during precipitation events. It is not as uncommon as you may assume. Everyday human activities leave contaminants on the streets, turf, rooftops, farm areas along with surfaces. They are gathered by runoffs then ultimately wind up in rivers, ponds and oceans in substantial quantities.
In some places, contaminated runoff produced by streets and highways might be the largest supply of water pollution. Other adverse effects of contaminated stormwater are stream erosion, weed invasion and alteration to natural circulation patterns. Unfortunately, numerous native varieties count on all those patterns and flow levels for spawning, development and also migration. A number of stormwater management techniques are designed to eradicate impurities from the runoffs before they pollute surface waters or groundwater sources.
Management of stormwater can be source management, to ensure hazardous elements are controlled to stop release of pollution into the environment. In contrast, natural waterways that remain or may be rehabilitated could be acquired and protected. Creating soft structures like ponds, swells or even wetlands to cooperate with pre-existing water flow structures (such as pipes and concrete channels) may also be useful for managing runoffs.
Stormwater management may be more productive by teaching people about how human actions impact water quality and also what they can do to improve the situation. Current laws and ordinances should be improved to cope with extensive stormwater requirements and ensure that property owners consider the results of stormwater prior to, during as well as after development of their land. On the whole, individuals working with the law can make a difference in minimizing the negative effects of stormwater runoff on the natural environment.
