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Stormwater

Precipitation fills our streams and lakes and soaks into the ground to replenish our aquifers. Most moderate rainfall is readily absorbed by soil, which acts as a natural filter as water moves through the cycle. But, in heavy storms, excess moisture can run off oversaturated ground. Because we’ve engineered so much of our land with impervious surfaces, that runoff can be excessive. Without the benefit of natural filtration, stormwater flows directly to waterbodies, storm drains, and sewer systems, taking with it any debris, chemicals, bacteria, eroded soil, and other pollutants it picks up along the way.

While new technologies and green infrastructure help reduce pollutant levels, many solutions are best equipped to handle frequent, low-intensity storms, rather than the sporadic, powerful storms experienced more recently. To compound the problem, population growth and rising water demand have increased dependence on local water sources, including groundwater recharge—raising more concern over potential contaminants.

Topic Overview (PDF)
69 Projects 4 Web Tools 1 Case Study 7 Webcasts
Asset Management
Combined Sewer Overflows (CSOs)
Green Infrastructure
Sanitary Sewer Overflows (SSOs)
Project #4852

Economic Framework and Tools for Quantifying and Monetizing the Triple Bottom Line Benefits of Green Stormwater Infrastructure

$398,592
In Progress

Project Highlights

Many cities throughout the United States and Canada have adopted ambitious green infrastructure (GI) programs to reduce polluted stormwater runoff and meet water quality standards related to combined sewer overflows, polluted runoff from municipal separate storm sewer systems, and total...

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Principal Investigator
Janet
Clements
Research Manager
Dr. Harry Zhang, Ph.D., PE

Recent Updates

Project #4841
Assessing the State of Knowledge and Research Needs for Stormwater...

Reporting Period: October 1, 2020 – December 31, 2020. Activities to-date include conducting the project kick-off...

Project Update
01/22/2021
Project #4971
Leveraging the Role of Pretreatment Programs in One Water Initiatives:...

Reporting Period: November 1, 2020 – December 31, 2020. Recent progress focused on the development of...

Project Update
04/02/2021
Project #4969
One Water Cities: Development of Guidance Documents and Assessment...

Reporting Period: January 15 – October 15, 2020. Over the course of the reporting period the...

Project Update
12/07/2020
Project #4971
Leveraging the Role of Pretreatment Programs in One Water Initiatives:...

Reporting Period: April 1, 2020 – September 30, 2020. During this project period, the project team...

Project Update
11/20/2020
Project #4974
Holistic Approach to Improved Nutrient ...

Reporting Period: September 18, 2019 - August 20, 2020. The three in-person workshops have been reformulated...

Project Update
09/23/2020
Project #4917
Utilizing Smart Water Networks to Manage Pressure and Flow for...

Reporting Period: July 1, 2019 - December 31, 2019. During this reporting period, the project team...

Project Update
04/21/2020
Project #5014
Practical Framework for Water Infrastructure ...

Reporting Period: December 16, 2019 - March 15, 2020. Case study framing questions and a template...

Project Update
04/17/2020
Project #4917
Utilizing Smart Water Networks to Manage Pressure and Flow for...

During this reporting period, the project team made progress under the information gathering and project planning...

Project Update
11/12/2019
Project #4667
Long-Term Water Demand Forecasting Practices for Water Resources and...

The objectives of this project are to describe models, methods, and practices currently used to forecast...

Project Update
06/09/2019
Project #4666
Case Study Compilation on Applying Risk Management Principles and Innovative...

The goal of this research is to develop case studies on strategies and tools for applying...

Project Update
07/10/2019

News

Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago

Featured Facility
Joseph A. Kozak
06/13/2019

The District has a Monitoring and Research Department that evaluates up-and-coming technologies for both wastewater treatment and biosolids management. Some of these technologies have been vetted and are being implemented...

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Resources

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Related Projects

Project #5001

Climate-Resilient Planning for Urban Stormwater and Wastewater Utilities: Workshop Proceedings

Completed

WRF in partnership with the New York City Department of Environmental Protection, the Water Utility Climate Alliance, NOAA's Mid-Atlantic Regional Integrated Sciences and Assessments program, and the RAND...

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Project #1255

Benchmarking Decision Criteria for Urban Wet Weather Abatement

Completed

This report presents the most current federal combined sewer overflow, sanitary sewer overflow, and stormwater policies. Communities will benefit from essential criteria presented as guidance for wet weather...

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Project #1179

Using Rainwater to Grow Livable Communities

Completed

A website designed to encourage and facilitate the integration of stormwater BMPs into development projects by providing tools and resources for effective communication and implementation. The comprehensive format...

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Project #4849

Exploring Cost-Benefit Analysis of Post Long-Term Control Plan Approaches to Wet Weather Management

In Progress

This project will provide a comprehensive evaluation of experiences, best practices, and costs for combined sewer overflow (CSO) and wet weather management. The objectives of the study are...

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Project #4841

Assessing the State of Knowledge and Research Needs for Stormwater Harvesting

In Progress

The field of stormwater harvesting is evolving and expanding as utilities and communities consider viable alternatives to increase water supplies, improve resiliency of water resources, and find multi-benefit...

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Project #5034

Assessing the Microbial Risks and Potential Impacts from Stormwater Collection and Uses to Establish Appropriate Best Management Practices

In Progress

Capture and use of stormwater offers a wide range of benefits, including enhancement of local water supplies, combined sewer overflow reduction, and stormwater runoff volume and pollutant load...

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Related Topics

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Green Infrastructure

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Combined Sewer Overflows (CSOs)

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Asset Management

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Sanitary Sewer Overflows (SSOs)

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Source & Receiving Waters

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Source Water Protection

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