Search

This book provides an essential overview of ecotechnologies (also known as green infrastructure or nature-based solutions) which are considered to be relatively resilient to variations in stormwater and wastewater inflow. In particular, it focuses on various types of constructed wetlands, biofilters and ponds. Stormwater flows are inherently variable, due to rainfall events and fluctuations in loading. This variability has significant effects on the performance of treatment systems, but has rarely been specifically addressed in design manuals, performance assessments or modelling. The book's respective chapters cover the main contaminant categories of interest (nutrients, faecal microbes, metals and emerging contaminants) and their removal processes using ecotechnologies, addressing urban, industrial and agricultural applications. In addition, they review modelling tools with the potential to improve our understanding of flow variability and the ability to simulate and predict responses to it.

Wetlands for Water Pollution Control, Second Edition, covers the fundamental science and engineering principles relevant to the drainage and treatment of both storm and wastewater. Standard and novel design recommendations for predominantly constructed wetlands and related sustainable drainage systems are also provided to account for the interests of professional engineers and environmental scientists. This revised edition deals with the design, operation, maintenance, and water quality monitoring of traditional and novel wetland systems, but also provides information on the analysis of asset performance and modeling of treatment processes, along with performances of existing infrastructures in predominantly developed, but also developing countries, and the sustainability and economic issues involved. This new edition contains 10 new chapters, along with multidisciplinary, experimental, and modeling-orientated case study topics that include natural wetlands, constructed treatment wetlands for pollution control, sustainable drainage systems, and specific applications, such as wetlands treating hydrocarbon and ammonia, as well as ecological sanitation systems recycling treated. - Contains a broad overview of water and environmental engineering aspects relevant for the drainage and treatment of storm water and wastewater, respectively - Includes standard and novel design, operation, monitoring and maintenance recommendations for predominantly constructed wetlands and related sustainable drainage systems - Provides detailed solutions to pressing water quality challenges associated with constructed treatment wetlands, integrated constructed wetlands, sustainable flood retention basins, farm constructed wetlands and storm water ponds, and other sustainable biological filtration and treatment technologies linked to public health engineering

Arid and semi-arid regions can be defined as environments in which water is the limit­ ing factor for bio-systems. This means that survival of life in these regions involves a constant struggle to obtain this limited commodity and draw the maximum benefit out of it. However, despite the difficulties for plants, animals, and man to live in, these regions, they are being utilized more and more because of the pressure of world population growth. This is expressed in the expansion of agricultural activities in desert lands as well as by the formation and rapid growth of urban and industrial centers. These trends result in a growing demand for water on the one hand, and the disposal of vast amounts of waste water, as well as other types of refuse, on the other. Meeting the first demand, namely, supplying water to the agricultural communities and urban centers, involves, in many instances, the over-exploitation and misuse of nat­ ural water resources. The surplus of waste water, sometimes highly loaded with toxic compounds, is likely to cause irreversible damage to the environment. The geoscientists and engineers face a challenge on two conflicting fronts. Success on one front, namely, in answering the full demand for water, may lead to an increase in the pollution of the environment by waste water.

This research study explores the relationship of urbanization to ecology in the wadeable streams of developing watersheds and describes a protocol, which urban stormwater management agencies can apply in their jurisdiction, to prevent the severe ecologic deterioration that presently occurs in urban streams as a watershed develops. The protocol comprises an 8-step process that involves data collection and analysis integrated with mathematical modeling of runoff from existing and proposed urban development to determine how biologic health indices such as the benthic index of biotic integrity (B-IBI) or Ephemeroptera, Plecoptera, Trichoptera (EPT) richness responds to urbanization of a watershed. Stormwater managers can apply this protocol in their areas of jurisdiction to assist them in developing urban runoff management rules and design criteria with some assurance that the resulting development will minimize negative impacts on the ecology of receiving streams. In addition to the full protocol, a simple protocol is also provided for municipal agencies to use that does not require extensive data collection.

A large portion of impaired waterways are located in or near urban areas and are adversely influenced by stormwater-borne solids. The solids have negative impacts on receiving water systems including loss of aquatic habitat, channel instability, and the transport of harmful pollutants potentially hazardous to human and ecosystem health. The current methods for sampling, handling, and analyzing stormwater solids don't lead to a good understanding of these effects on receiving waters. The purpose of the study is to develop a draft protocol addressing sampling, analysis, and reporting practices to examine stormwater-borne solids in order to improve assessment and monitoring protocols. Current accepted practices for characterizing stormwater-borne solids are critically analyzed and revised. Common definitions and standardized monitoring procedures are recommended in this report to aid in understanding solid impacts and selection of stormwater best management practices. Stormwater solids can first be classified based on size into dissolved, fine, coarse and Gross Solids. These solids can further be classified as settleable or suspended by allowing a settling time in the analytical procedure. Obtaining a representative sample in the field is one of the biggest challenges in characterizing stormwater-borne solids because of temporal, geographic, and spatial variations. An outline for developing a monitoring plan for fine solids and Gross Solids is described.

Wetland Systems to Control Urban Runoff integrates natural and constructed wetlands, and sustainable drainage techniques into traditional water and wastewater systems used to treat surface runoff and associated diffuse pollution. The first part of the text introduces the fundamentals of water quality management, and water and wastewater treatment. The remaining focus of the text is on reviewing treatment technologies, disinfection issues, sludge treatment and disposal options, and current case studies related to constructed wetlands applied for runoff and diffuse pollution treatment. Professionals and students will be interested in the detailed design, operation, management, process control and water quality monitoring and applied modeling issues.• Contains a comprehensive collection of timely, novel and innovative research case studies in the area of wetland systems applied for the treatment of urban runoff • Demonstrates to practitioners how natural and constructed wetland systems can be integrated into traditional wastewater systems, which are predominantly applied for the treatment of surface runoff and diffuse pollution • Assesses the design, operation, management and water treatment performance of sustainable urban drainage systems including constructed wetlands

Over the past 20 years, the use of Best Management Practices (BMPs) in the United States has been instrumental in reducing both the detrimental impacts to receiving water quality and the exacerbated flooding caused by urbanization and storm water drainage. More recently, Sustainable Urban Drainage Systems (SUDS) have started to be used in the United Kingdom. Both SUDS and BMPs attempt to mimic the drainage patterns of the natural watershed, and can also provide a degree of treatment needed to improve the quality of the water discharged to an acceptable level. The costs of conventional stormwater collection systems are determined primarily in terms of initial capital expenditure. Long-term maintenance costs are absorbed by stormwater authorities that are responsible for maintaining their infrastructure as part of their'asset base'. Currently, only a few of these responsibilities exist for BMPs and SUDS, which generally incorporate surface components and are often dependent on landscaping rather than on traditional construction techniques, but may require significant regular maintenance. Any potential adopting organization will require guidance on the maintenance regimes of different types of systems and how such regimes translate into long-term adoption costs. The project is being conducted in two phases. Phase 1, which is the subject of this report, includes a literature review and a survey of stormwater authorities and organizations in the US and UK to identify the most commonly used BMPs and SUDS and to determine the availability of data on their cost and performance. As part of Phase 2, the operation of selected BMPs and SUDS will be monitored over a one-year period in terms of pollutant removal and hydrologic/hydraulic efficiency, and applicability of their design criteria and maintenance regime. The protocols developed in Phase 1 will be used to assess BMPs/SUDS performance and whole-life costs.