The successful functioning of a bioretention system depends on the use of suitable soil media. Predictive computer modelling of a bioretention system (e.g. using the MUSIC software) assumes specific characteristics of the soil media to achieve a certain level of stormwater treatment. Therefore, the soil media used in the construction of a bioretention system must exhibit the required characteri...

Field studies were conducted to characterize the concentration vs streamflow relationships (or "flow fingerprints") of fecal pollution and suspended solids in stormwater runoff from the Santa Ana River watershed, the largest watershed in southern California. The concentrations of fecal indicator bacteria and F+ coliphages (viruses infecting E. coli) exhibit little-to-no dependence on streamflow...

Repetitive element anchored PCR was used to evaluate the genetic profiles of Escherichia coli isolated from surface water contaminated with urban stormwater, sanitary sewage, and gull feces to determine if strains found in environmental samples reflect the strain composition of E. coli obtained from host sources. Overall, there was less diversity in isolates collected from river and beach sites...

Management of urban stormwater to mitigate Combined Sewer Overflows (CSOs) is a priority for many cities; yet, few truly innovative approaches have been proposed to address the problem. Recent advances in information technology are now, however, providing cost-effective opportunities to achieve better performance of conventional stormwater infrastructure through a Continuous Monitoring and Adap...

Fast urbanization and industrialization in developing countries result in significant stormwater runoff pollution, due to drastic changes in land-use, from rural to urban. A three-year study on the stormwater runoff pollutant loading distributions of industrial, parking lot and mixed commercial and residential catchments was conducted in the Tongsha reservoir watershed of Dongguan city, a typic...

Belowground proprietary stormwater treatment devices can produce mosquitoes, including vectors of West Nile virus. Elimination of vertical entry points such as pick holes in manhole covers may reduce the number of mosquitoes entering and reproducing in these structures. Plastic manhole dish inserts were evaluated as structural barriers against mosquito entry through pick holes in a simulated st...

Although large loads of potentially toxic constituents are discharged from coastal urban watersheds, very little is known about the fates and eventual impacts of these stormwater inputs once they enter the ocean. The goal of this study was to examine the effects of stormwater discharges on the benthic marine environment of Santa Monica Bay. Sediment samples were collected across a gradient of s...

A widely recommended strategy to minimize mosquito production in structural stormwater Best Management Practices (BMPs) is to ensure they hold captured water for no more than 72 h. However, this standard may be overly conservative for many mosquito species found in urban environments and may impede or prevent the capacity of BMPs to fulfill more stringent water quality standards in environmenta...

The capture, treatment, and reuse of storm-water runoff are win–win propositions that can lead to improvements in both human water security and ecosystem health. Although not all treatment technologies facilitate the capture, treatment, and reuse of water, biofilters do. Biofilters are engineered analogues of natural systems that use low energy, natural processes to treat stormwater. Biofilter ...

St. Armands Key, a barrier island located in western Sarasota County in Florida, has had a history of chronic flooding. It is relatively low and bowl-shaped and has experienced flooding caused by both excessively high tides and rainfall events. The existing stormwater drainage system on the Key includes one pump station and gravity drainage pipes, which are not adequate to meet the level of ser...