Summarizes the capabilities and limitations of structural best management practices in current use for the control of the quality of urban runoff. Addresses issues of particular concern to the coastal zone. Observations are derived from multiple field studies. Includes assessments of extended detention ponds, wet ponds, stormwater wetlands, multiple pond systems, infiltration trenches, infiltration basins, porous pavement, sand filters, grassed swales, vegetated filter strips and water quality inlets. For each practice, the report discusses pollutant removal capability, longevity, environmental impacts, construction and maintenance costs, feasibility in different development contexts, and adaptability to different geographic settings, particularly coastal. The report also suggests improvements under development for each practice, intended to correct notable design flaws or increase overall stormwater management capability.

"Presents and compares all major stormwater/runoff control strategies ; New data on pollutant removal efficiencies, design, costs, environmental impacts and more ; Where and why to use the best techniques for limiting/monitoring diffuse pollution ; Provides the tools to meet regulations and improve water quality in urban/suburban watersheds"--From publisher's description.

This guide examines permanent structural techniques, or Best Management Practices (BMPs), which can be used for retrofitting the stormwater management systems in existing developed areas. The advantages and disadvantages of each technique are explained to help engineering professionals select the BMP (or series of BMPs) best suited for removing pollutants from stormwater runoff at a particular location. The design factors considered include land availability, type of pollutant to be removed, groundwater levels, soil types, BMP costs, maintenance costs, and desired pollutant removal efficiency. The BMPs evaluated are ponds, alum treatment systems, constructed wetlands, sand filters, baffle boxes, inlet devices, vegetated swales, buffer strips, and infiltration/exfiltration trenches. A BMP Selection Guide, in an easy-to-use matrix format, aids in the decision-making process for BMP selections. Five design factors and five pollutant types (total suspended solids, total phosphorus, total nitrogen, heavy metals, and floating trash) are evaluated for each BMP in the matrix. BMPs presented in this guide were chosen based upon common availability, ease of maintenance, and an established track record.

The rapid conversion of land to urban and suburban areas has profoundly altered how water flows during and following storm events, putting higher volumes of water and more pollutants into the nation's rivers, lakes, and estuaries. These changes have degraded water quality and habitat in virtually every urban stream system. The Clean Water Act regulatory framework for addressing sewage and industrial wastes is not well suited to the more difficult problem of stormwater discharges. This book calls for an entirely new permitting structure that would put authority and accountability for stormwater discharges at the municipal level. A number of additional actions, such as conserving natural areas, reducing hard surface cover (e.g., roads and parking lots), and retrofitting urban areas with features that hold and treat stormwater, are recommended.

At head of title: National Cooperative Highway Research Program.

The intense concentration of human activity in urban areas leads to changes in both the quantity and quality of runoff that eventually reaches our streams, lakes, wetlands, estuaries and coasts. The increasing use of impervious surfaces designed to provide smooth and direct pathways for stormwater run-off, has led to greater runoff volumes and flow velocities in urban waterways. Unmanaged, these changes in the quantity and quality of stormwater can result in considerable damage to the environment. Improved environmental performance is needed to ensure that the environmental values and beneficial uses of receiving waters are sustained or enhanced. Urban Stormwater - Best-Practice Environmental Management Guidelines resulted from a collaboration between State government agencies, local government and leading research institutions. The guidelines have been designed to meet the needs of people involved in the planning, design or management of urban land uses or stormwater drainage systems. They provide guidance in ten key areas: *Environmental performance objectives *Stormwater management planning *Land use planning *Water sensitive urban design *Construction site management *Business surveys *Education and awareness *Enforcement *Structural treatment measures *Flow management Engineers and planners within local government, along with consultants to the development industry, should find the guidelines especially useful. Government agencies should also find them helpful in assessing the performance of stormwater managers. While developed specifically for application in Victoria, Australia, the information will be of value to stormwater managers everywhere.