Conventional drainage systems are designed to achieve a single objective flood control during large, infrequent storms.

. This objective is met by conveying and/or detaining peak runoff from large, infrequent storms. Drainage systems designed to meet a single flood control objective fail to address the environmental effects of increases in runoff volume and velocity caused by development, as well as flow peaks. Increased runoff from small, frequent storms erodes urban streams and washes eroded sediment and other constituents from the urban landscape into downstream receiving waters, often damaging adjoining property and impairing their use by people and wildlife. Todays drainage systems must cost-effectively manage flooding, control stream bank erosion, and protect water quality. To do this, designers must integrate conventional flood control strategies for large, infrequent storms with three basic storm water quality control strategies for small, frequent storms: infiltrate runoff into the soil, retain/detain runoff for later release, convey runoff slowly through vegetation. Integrated flood control/storm water quality control designs must meet a variety of engineering, horticultural, aesthetic, functional, economic, and safety standards..

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rainage is the natural or artificial removal of surface and sub-surface water from an area. Many agricultural soils need drainage to improve production or to manage water supplies. As our towns and cities have grown, green fields have been replaced by hard surfaces. Instead of soaking into the ground, rainwater is collected in pipe sand carried as fast as possible to the nearest river or stream. This effect has become more pronounced with the increased pace of development. Drainage systems designed to meet a single flood control objective fail to address the environmental effects of increases in runoff volume and velocity caused by development, as well as flow peaks. Increased runoff from small, frequent storms erodes urban streams and washes eroded sediment and other constituents from the urban landscape into downstream receiving waters, often damaging adjoining property and impairing their use by people and wildlife. Todays drainage systems must cost-effectively manage flooding, control stream bank erosion, and protect water quality.

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INTRODUCTION

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May 25, 2012

When the environment is modified by development, the effects can be seen in a number of ways

Rain falling on impermeable surfaces rapidly picks up contaminants such as dust, oil, litter and organic matter. The impact of this material being flushed into a watercourse can be dramatic. High levels of silt blanket stream life and organic matter rapidly reduces oxygen levels in the water. Numerous studies of the polluting nature of such runoff have been made. Life in receiving streams may be severely restricted as a consequence of repeated discharges. Fish that venture into them risk being suffocated in the event of a storm. The quality of groundwater may also be affected where discharges soak into the ground. Chemical and oil storage spillages, and transport activities add to pollution in both watercourses and groundwaters. A further problem arises when people pour used oil, garden chemicals, car washing water and other liquid waste into drains, unaware that most surface water drains discharge directly to watercourses and soak ways. This adds to the polluting load. A related issue is the connection of foul drainage, by accident or ignorance, to the surface water drains. Householders who have no idea that two drainage systems exist, often have their toilets, washing machines and dishwashers plumbed incorrectly.

The increase in impermeable areas that accompanies development also results in less water being available for infiltration into the ground.

Pollutants. In a natural state, water is not chemically pure .It

contains sediment, minerals, and other impurities depending on the surrounding geology and climate. These impurities do not
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Water Quality 2

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often arrive at lakes, streams, and bays (known as receiving waters) in concentrated form, because rainfall can infiltrate slowly into the soil, where it is cleansed by natural biologic processes. When rain falls faster than it can infiltrate, runoff flows over the surface. In most natural conditions, this runoff travels slowly through vegetation, and suspended particles settle or are filtered, sending cleaner runoff to receiving waters. The impervious surfaces associated with urbanization prevent water from infiltrating and increase the rate of runoff. One can see rain fall on urbanized impervious surfaces streets, rooftops, parking lots, trash and fuel handling areas, and pervious surfaces such as lawns, playfields, and exposed construction sites. Less visible are the foreign constituents that runoff carries as it flows quickly across urbanized surfaces and empties into its final receiving water. Understanding what pollutants are and where they come from can aid in designing effective storm water treatment controls. Sediment. Roads, parking lots, and roofs are common sources of sediment due to wear. Unstabilized landscaped areas, stream banks, unprotected slopes and denuded dirt areas also contribute. Sediment is a main component of total suspended solids (TSS), and is detrimental to aquatic life. Sediment also transports pollutants such as trace metals, nutrients, and hydrocarbons that attach to each particle. Organic Compounds. These compounds are derived from automotive fluids, pesticides, and fertilizers. Organic compounds often attach to soil particles. Removal of soil particles from runoff via sedimentation or filtration will likely reduce the surface water pollution potential of organic compounds as well. Nutrients. Nutrients include nitrogen, phosphorus, and other organic compounds which can be found in organic litter, fertilizers, food waste, sewage and sediment. Excess nutrients impact creek health and impair use of water in lakes and other water supply sources by promoting excessive growth of algae or vegetation (i.e. eutrophication). Metals. Sources of trace metals (copper, lead, cadmium, chromium, nickel, and zinc) can include motor vehicles, roofing and construction materials, and chemicals. Trace metals can be toxic to aquatic organisms and, in accumulated quantities, can contaminate drinking water supplies.
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Water Quality 3

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Removal of sediment from runoff via sedimentation combined with surface infiltration will reduce the amount of metals that reach receiving waters.

Bacteria and viruses. Sources include animal excrement (found in areas where pets are often walked), sanitary sewer overflow, and trash handling areas (dumpsters). Bacteria and viruses may pose public health and safety concerns if they are present in drinking water reservoirs or recreational water bodies.

Oil and Grease. Sources of oil and grease include motor

vehicles, food service establishments, and fueling stations. Oil and grease act as carriers for heavy metals and contain hydrocarbon compounds, which even at low concentrations may be toxic to aquatic organisms. With proper maintenance of storm water management systems, pollutants infiltrating into the soil do not usually pose a risk of contaminated soil or groundwater. Risk is greater when there is a concentrated source of pollutants, such as in a heavy industrial site or in the case of illegal disposal.

Too many urban rivers are both culverted and polluted By surface water discharges. This reduces water quality and biodiversity in our urban areas.

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Water Quality

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May 25, 2012

Natural drainage patterns are disrupted as land is developed. In most cases, the amount of impermeable cover will increase as a result of development. Traditional drainage systems are designed to remove rainfall from these impervious surfaces as quickly as possible. This causes higher flow rates for shorter periods and can result in flooding further downstream. Balancing ponds, underground storage tanks or similar measures are often required to compensate for this. The risk of flooding is defined as a function of both the probability of a flood happening and its impact. In urban areas, the impact can be very high because the areas affected are densely populated and contain vital infrastructure. The reason for increased flooding in urban areas is twofold. Firstly, increased urbanization has resulted in developments encroaching on floodplains, obstructing floodways and the loss of natural flood storage. Secondly, increased urbanization has resulted in increased impervious areas such as roads, roofs and paving which create more rainwater water run-off. Traditional drainage systems were designed to move rainwater as rapidly as possible from the point at which it has fallen to a discharge point, via a piped system to either a watercourse or soak away. During periods of wet weather this approach can result in the increased risk of flooding downstream, sudden rises in water levels and flow rates in watercourses, By diverting rainfall to piped systems, water is stopped from soaking into the ground, depleting ground water and reducing flows in watercourses in dry weather. In addition, surface water run-off can contain contaminants such as oil, organic matter and toxic metals. Although often at low levels, cumulatively they can result in poor water quality in rivers and groundwater, affecting biodiversity, amenity value and potential water abstraction.

Flooding may occur for a number of reasons, including inadequately designed surface water drainage systems.
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Flooding 5

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This section focuses on the ecological changes brought about by the drainage. The most obvious ones are a consequence of the change of land use and water use in the project area but effects on the land around the project and on aquatic ecosystems that share the catchment are likely. Biological diversity, areas of special scientific interest, animal migration and natural industry are important study areas. The overall habitat as well as individual groups (mammals, birds, fish, reptiles, insects etc) and species need to be considered. Rare and endangered species are often highly adapted to habitats with very narrow ranges of environmental gradients. Such habitats may not be of obvious economic value to man, eg arid areas, and therefore current knowledge of the biota may be poor and a special study may be required. Local knowledge is particularly important as the range of species may be very local. Changes in water flow patterns such as high flow rates for short periods and reduced flows at other times can dramatically alter the river habitat. Increased flow rates can erode river banks and beds, resulting in material being deposited further downstream. In some areas, rivers have been straightened and confined in concrete to control erosion but this has resulted in the loss of bank side habitat. These changes mean that rivers in urban areas are often unable to support a variety of wildlife and plants and become eyesores. One further adverse effect of conventional drainage systems is amphibians getting trapped in road gullies. Frogs and newts often fall into road gullies and are unable to escape. Thienemanns rules are useful in thinking about the ecology of the effected areas: The greater the diversity of conditions in a locality, the larger the number of species in a biological community. The more conditions in a locality deviate from the normal, and thus from the optimum for most species, the smaller the number of species and the greater the biomass of each. The longer a locality has been in a stable condition, the richer its biological community.

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Habitat

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The environmental impact can be minimized through good design and practice. Protecting rivers and ground waters from the effects of these pollutants requires a new approach to drainage and a review of the need for treatment prior to discharge. A range of techniques known as Sustainable Drainage Systems are available to achieve this. These are a flexible set of options that allow a designer to choose the most suitable combination of techniques to fit the circumstances of a particular site. Sustainable drainage is a concept that makes environmental quality and people a priority in drainage design, construction and maintenance. The SUDS approach includes measures to prevent pollution, reduce surface water runoff at source and provide a range of physical structures designed to receive the runoff.

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Conclusions

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www.wikipidea.org www.environment-agency.gov.uk www.pdf-search.com www.temarinet.com www.environmental-mainstreaming.org

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References