Stormwater Management: How to Keep It All Under Control

Stormwater runoff causes ‘severe’ ecological consequences, according to a publication from the Parliament of Australia. Yet, it can also wreck facilities.

If your facility suffers from stormwater issues, you need to address the problem fast! Flooding can destroy facilities in a heartbeat and set back various projects indefinitely. But are the stormwater basics you need to know?

Good stormwater management involves some important factors. In this quick guide, let’s look at some key points to help you understand stormwater management. We’ll look at things like stormwater runoff, flows, and flood prevention, to name a few.

Stormwater Runoff

Controlling the runoff volume from facilities is critical. By doing this, you minimize habitat degradation and the eroding of local waterways.

Rain cannot sink into the earth and follow its natural course to the water table or streams if it lands on many artificial surfaces. You can avoid issues by capturing and managing runoff, and local reservoirs can be recharged and replenished.

An option is to harvest stormwater and greywater. You can reuse it for toilet flushing, landscape irrigation, and cooling towers, among other things. It’s an economical alternative to regulating the release of water down into the earth.

Stormwater Flows

There are several methods you can employ to create positive stormwater flows. You can reduce pollutants, drought, and public health issues.

As a result, stormwater management systems are an essential component of any facility. We’ll look at some of the options that can assist regulate stormwater flow in the sections below:

Infiltration Trenches

Filling trenches with aggregate to catch runoff during heavy rainfall is one solution. These trenches discharge the water at a calculated rate into the water table.

However, there are concerns with possible groundwater pollution and clogs with this method. They need proper maintenance to be effective.

On-Site Detention Tanks

You can collect stormwater runoff and control water volume with on site detention tanks. Then, you can hold and discharge the water at a regulated pace into reservoirs or the sewage system.

The water you store can either flow directly into the earth, or you can keep it for harvesting purposes. This will be subject to regulatory constraints. Treatment methods for underground tanks that handle water quality may also deal with specific water issues in some regions.

Concrete and Permeable Pavements

Permeable pavements allow stormwater to drain from the streets at a rapid pace. You can apply this type of surface for various applications, such as car parks or driveways.

The top layer is porous concrete. Then below, you have options to allow the water to flow into the ground or run off elsewhere. Either way, one of your main goals here will be flood prevention.

Stormwater Management Solutions

So we’ve now discussed a few very effective stormwater management solutions. In particular, we think the on-site detention tank option is one that many facilities should consider. The reason being is that you can make efficient use of the water you collect.

We hope this short guide was insightful and helpful. If so, please feel free to browse our blog for more informative articles.