When urban rain or snow falls to the ground and flows into our storm drains, it becomes what we know as "stormwater". This, in turn, flows out into our lakes, creeks, rivers and other nearby bodies of water. And, when it comes to city planning, this entire process is extremely important. This is why stormwater management, as opposed to something like landscape drainage that is just for the homeowner themselves, is such a crucial service.
But what goes into stormwater treatment? What drainage devices are used? And is there such a thing as too little stormwater in the streets, drains, and nearby rivers of any given city? Join us, today, as we take a closer look.
What Is Stormwater Management?
As defined by the EPA, stormwater management is reducing rainwater or melted snow wherever it might gather in a "stormwater pond". The goal is to improve the overall water quality of a city or town and prevent structural damage to nearby buildings and utilities.
When rainwater absorbs back into the soil, it can actually be very useful. It becomes filtered and reintroduces back into rivers and streams. This is all fair and well for the occasional light rain. When a storm strikes, though, stormwater runoff saturates the ground, creating moisture that flows across the top of that same land. This collects debris, chemicals, and bacteria before reaching nearby rivers, lakes, and wetlands.
This can obviously cause problems and is only one of many ways in which unchecked stormwater can be an issue. Thus: stormwater management.
When it comes to stormwater management, the goal is to safeguard the health and safety of our public streams, lakes, and aquafers. And a large part of this comes down to working with urban developers. Management teams work to balance out the natural hydrological cycle in a populated environment. With multiple plans in place to decrease flood risks as well as prevent stream erosion.
Types Of Systems:
Closed
In a closed drainage system, surface runoff collects from paved and unpaved areas via a series of inlets and underground pipes. This allows managers to intercept runoff water before it becomes too large and fast to not be a problem.
For drainage of this sort, catch basins, manholes, and trench drains are all fairly common solutions. Catch basins redirect large amounts of water to the lowest point on a road or property and through a pipe at the bottom of a basin. A manhole, or storm drain, meanwhile, performs much the same job, the only difference being they redirect the water to a shared natural body of water. As we've mentioned, earlier, this is usually the sea or a nearby river.
Trench drains expand on the idea of a catch basin somewhat by providing a large surface for draining to take place. This may include gutters, the underside of a roof, in sidewalks, or in similar areas where water gathers.
Open
In the case of an open drainage system, you'll find installations made from unexposed channels or ditches. These are built to absorb wastewater streams, but may also be used as rainwater runoff. They're designed to be versatile, accommodating different types of streams.
These are not appropriate systems for carrying sewage, however.
Maintaining A Natural Hydrological Cycle
When penetration is reduced, a side effect of the process is that it reduces soil replenishment and any recharge in groundwater. The moisture, specifically, is necessary in order to maintain vegetation viability in this soil. So, if recharge stops, you run the risk of reducing your ongoing baseflow, between storms and hampering aquatic life during these times.
Stormwater management isn't just here to stop or redirect water during heavy load periods. It's here to make sure the correct amount of water is still being supplied to areas that need it.
Lowering The Risk of Flooding
When it comes to stormwater management, the goal is to safeguard the health and safety of our public streams, lakes, and aquafers. And a large part of this comes down to working with urban developers. Management teams work to balance out the natural hydrological cycle in a populated environment. With multiple plans in place to decrease flood risks as well as prevent stream erosion.
This is also a result of runoff systems, which are built to transfer this storm water into nearby streams and away from the city. This is good in theory, but a massive or prolonged storm can lead to flooding, which might lead to personal injury and loss or damage of property. Stormwater management is used as a countermeasure to help lower this risk.
Preventing Stream Erosion
Erosion is a part of nature and is to be expected from any stream. Storm water flowing from a massive city into said stream, however, is a little more man-made, and something that should be kept in check. After all, with more water and increased sediment comes more erosion, and that can take its toll, especially over a number of years.
Stormwater is managed as a step to preventing erosion which might impede or even redirect stormwater in undesirable ways. Erosion forces increase along the banks and beds, which can have a snowball effect. The particulates from that erosion move along the river and add to the overall process.
Stormwater management is not only good for the sake of convenience. It's also a longterm investment in the natural behavior of rivers and streams, which can have knock-on effects.
Erosion occuring at Macarthur Airport
Stormwater Management
In developed cities, it can be easy not to notice the encroaching damage of poor drainage and repeated flooding. It happens slowly, with impervious surfaces preventing moisture from reaching the soil below them. These areas are also build to redirect this water into drains and sewers, leading back to the sea and causing some of the following problems:
- flooding
- damage to infrastructure
- water pollution
- stream erosion
- turbidity and agitated sediments from erosion
- the destruction of various habitats and biomes
- storm and sanitary sewer overflows
Planning Drainage for Macarthur Airport
With so much on the line, it's easy to see why quality stormwater management is such a vital part of any big city's operation. Looking for more quality insights into trench drainage systems and stormwater management, overall? Make sure to check out the rest of our awesome blog content, or get in touch today to find out more about our services!