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CRC PUBLICATIONS |
Best Practice Environmental Management Guidelines for Urban Stormwater - Background Report
Lance Mudgway,
Hugh Duncan,
Tom McMahon,
Francis Chiew
Publication Type:
Technical Report
This is a publication of the initial CRC for Catchment Hydrology
CRC Program:
Urban Hydrology (Previous CRC)
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Publication Keywords:
Stormwater Management
Runoff (Urban)
Water Quality Control
Water Pollution Control
Pollutants
Standards (Water Quality)
Pollution Sources
Storm Sewage Treatment
Water Quality (Treated Waters)
Environmental Management
Best Practice Environmental Option
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Abstract / Summary:
Abstract
This report documents work undertaken by the Cooperative Research Centre for Catchment Hydrology on best practice environmental guidelines for urban stormwater.
The major sources of pollution in urban runoff are summarised, and the processes of deposition, interception, build-up, wash-off, transport, and storage are briefly described. The adverse effects of poor quality stormwater on receiving waters are noted.
The impact of land use on pollutant concentrations is described. Concentration means and standard deviations derived from over 500 locations reported in the literature are presented, for 12 water quality parameters and up to 15 land use categories. Observed concentrations can be described very well by the log-normal distribution. Although there are large and statistically significant differences in concentration between forest, agricultural, and urban land uses, differences between the subsets of urban land use (residential, commercial, industrial, and other) are usually small and rarely significant. Australian and worldwide concentrations have been compared, and conversion factors proposed where necessary. Associations between different water quality parameters are found to be week.
The pollutant removal performance of a wide range of stormwater treatment methods is summarised and tabulated. Storage in ponds and wetlands is the only form of treatment with enough data to permit detailed analysis.
Several existing stormwater quality management manuals and guidelines have been reviewed. Performance objectives generally specify either a volume of stormwater to be treated, or a percentage reduction in suspended solids concentration to be achieved. Direct links to receiving water quality objectives are not apparent.
The Australian and Victorian legislative setting for stormwater management guidelines is described. The State Environment Protection Policy - Waters of Victoria, which tabulates maximum acceptable limits for a range of catchments and quality parameters, is particularly noted.
The proposed performance objective requires that concentrations of suspended solids, total nitrogen, total phosphorus, total lead, and total zinc should either meet the relevant statutory requirements, or be reduced by a specified amount, whichever is more easily achieved. The specified concentration reductions are based on the typical observed performance of a storage occupying one percent of the total catchment area. It is not necessary that the treatment measure actually be a storage. The proposed objective also requires that the mass of gross pollutants greater than 2 mm should be reduced by 65%. Screening tools and performance curves are provided, and the recommended procedure is illustrated by example.
This report is not currently available for downloading. Printed copies can be purchased from the Centre Office
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Centre Office:
CRC for Catchment Hydrology
Dept of Civil Engineering
Building 60
Monash University Vic 3800
Tel: +61 3 9905 2704
Fax: +61 3 9905 5033
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