Department of Architecture

COMSATS University , Islamabad

Storm Water Management and its technique

What Is Storm Water ?

Storm water is rainwater and melted snow that runs off streets, lawns and other sites. When
storm water is absorbed into the ground, it is filtered and ultimately replenishes into aquifers
or flows into streams and rivers.
 Green Infrastructure & Grey Infrastructure

• Green infrastructure functioned

as water management that
protects, restores, or mimics the
natural water cycle.

• Gray infrastructure is man-

made designed to move urban
storm-water away from the built
environment.

Both infrastructure are involved in

storm water management system.
Why do we need to manage storm water?

To avoid :-
• Downstream flooding.

• Stream bank erosion.

• Habitat destruction.

• Combined sewer overflows.

• Infrastructure damage.

• Contaminated streams, rivers, and coastal water.

Why do we need to manage storm water?

• Impervious surfaces prevent rain infiltration, increasing runoff compared to

undeveloped conditions.

• This leads to a lower water table and groundwater depletion, contributing to

severe drought and water scarcity (e.g., Karachi, Islamabad).

• Increased runoff raises flood risks in transportation corridors, causing property

damage.

• Flooded sanitation facilities can lead to environmental contamination (e.g.,

evapotranspiration).

• Infrastructure failures, such as broken water or sewer lines, result in high costs
and suffering for local communities.
Storm Water Management- ADVANTAGES

• Provides proper drainage of surface run-off and

avoids damages on infrastructure such as private
properties and streets.

• Provides possibility to recharge groundwater and

re-use precipitation water and surface run-off as
irrigation or household water.

• Minimizing health risks.

Storm Water Management- ADVANTAGES

Provides effective storm water flood control.

Can be integrated into the urban landscape and provide green and
recreational areas.
Revenue generated by a storm water utility can be used as a new,
dedicated source of funds to supplement or replace the community's
current storm water management funding, enabling tax-based funding
to be used for other community needs.
Storm Water Management- DISADVANTAGES

• Expert planning, implementation, operation and maintenance required for a storm water
management.

• It depends on the technique, a lot of operation and labor required.

• There is risk of clogging infiltration system caused by high sedimentation rates.

• Temporary covering methods, such as plastic sheeting, can become torn or ripped,
exposing the contaminant to precipitation and/or storm water runoff.
Rural Storm Water Management Causes
• Heavy rainfalls
• Storms
• Overstrained sewer systems

Impacts
Flooding and stream erosion

Benefit of flood events and precipitation

Use this water for irrigation.

Some available techniques:

Flooded agricultural land after a storm event.
• Spate irrigation
• Micro basins
• Field trenches
Rural Storm Water Management - Techniques

1. SPATE IRRIGATION SYSTEM

Spate irrigation is a crop irrigation technique consisting

of diverting seasonal storm water from valleys, rivers,
riverbeds and gullies by gravity onto farmland situated
at a lower elevation than the flood water. The flood
water is then diverted to the fields. After the land is
inundated crops are sown, sometimes immediately, but
often the moisture is stored in the soil profile and used
later.

A large spate irrigation construction

Source: B. STAUFFER (2011) adapted from FAO
Rural Storm Water Management - Techniques
1. SPATE IRRIGATION SYSTEM

ADVANTAGES

• Big areas can be irrigated.

• Floods can be controlled.

• In areas traditionally irrigated by spate irrigations, groundwater source are

relatively rich due to long periods of recharge

DISADVANTAGE

• Sediments in the irrigation water (if they were not removed properly) can cause
problems on crops and soil.

• Amount of available water varies from year to year.

A large spate irrigation construction
• River beds may change and spate irrigation constructions need to be
adjusted.
Rural Storm Water Management - Techniques

2. MICRO BASINS

Micro basins are a common technique used in

agriculture to collect surface run-off, increase water
infiltration and prevent soil erosion. Their principle is
comparably simple: small pools are surrounded by
stone walls and/or soil ridges on all sides to collect
the rainwater and surface run-off. This allows storing
rainwater and using it for small-scale tree and bush
planting, enabling increased growth of plants if there
is a moisture deficit.
Rural Storm Water Management - Techniques
2. MICRO BASINS

ADVANTAGES

• Simple design and construction.

• Can be applied to even and uneven grounds.

• Applicable for very small scale (e.g. only for a few trees).

DISADVANTAGES

• Only applicable to small scale, mainly because their implementation is not easily
mechanized.

• Soil needs to have considerable depth (at least 1.5 m).

Rural Storm Water Management - Techniques

3. FIELD TRENCHES
Field trenches increase precipitation harvesting by breaking
the slope of the ground and therefore reducing the velocity of
water runoff. By decreasing runoff, they enhance water
infiltration and prevent soil erosion. Trenches can be seen as
an extended practice of ploughing fields.
Rural Storm Water Management - Techniques

3. FIELD TRENCHES
ADVANTAGES
• Applicable to all soil and rainfall conditions.
• Prevents soil degradation and erosion.
• Enhances surface water infiltration and soil moisture.
• Helps to reduce flood hazards.
• Comparably simple construction, requiring only basic construction
material.

DISADVANTAGES
• Intense labor is needed for maintenance.
• Less land is available for cultivation.
• May create temporary water logging in dense soil.
Urban Storm Water Management

The practice of managing freshwater, wastewater, and storm water as links within the resource
management structure, using an urban area as the unit of management is known as Integrated
Urban Water Management (IUWM).
Human settlements disturb the natural water cycle and creates floods and water pollution. Some reason for e.g.
Natural vegetation is often removed and rivers are canalized.

Surfaces are impermeable.

Groundwater resources decrease, fresh water becomes scarce.

There are several techniques to manage surface runoff. They are divided in two groups:
1. Storage Type Devices (either you CHANELLISE and store water and clean it)
2. Infiltration Type Devices (either you collect the water clean itself)

What technique is implemented should be decided on local conditions and responsible planers.
Urban Storm Water Management – Storage Type Devices

1. DETENTION PONDS

These are the excavated reservoirs or natural depressions

• Dry during low flow periods i.e. temporary storage

during flood events.
Urban Storm Water Management – Storage Type Devices

2. RETENTION PONDS

• Primarily designed to improve storm water

quality.

• Secondary for flood control devices.

• Retention Ponds do not dry out, water stays

for longer period

• Water quality improvement mainly through

settling.
Urban Storm Water Management – Storage Type Devices

3. RAIN WATER HARVESTING

• Can be used in urban and rural areas.

• Reducing of storm water runoff and

storage of potable water

• Water can be used for irrigation, as flush

water for toilets or, after purification, as
drinking water. Rooftop rainwater
harvesting in Urban Areas using a Plastic
Tank.
Urban Storm Water Management – Storage Type Devices

4. GREEN ROOFS ( LIVING ROOFS )

• Green roofs consist of a vegetative layer

that grows in a specially-designed soil that
may sit above a drainage layer.

• Green roofs detain storm water in the void

space of the soil media and retain storm
water through vegetative uptake and
evapotranspiration.

• They provide an excellent insulation.

• Reduce energy consumption significantly.

• BauderBLUE Roof SuDS.mp4

Urban Storm Water Management – Storage Type Devices
4. GREEN ROOFS ( LIVING ROOFS )

INSTALLATION PROCESS OF GREEN ROOF

• Install a monolithic type waterproof membrane such as rubber

and plastic on top of the roof decking.

• Place a 6mm sheet of plastic on the waterproof membrane and

the waterproof membrane will serve as a root barrier.

• Top the first two layers with one or more thin sheets of three-
quarter-inch foam insulation suited for contact with damp soil.

• Set a drainage mat which also called as a dimple mat with

capillary spaces on top of the insulation.

• • Frame the sides for the roof with mesh gutter guards, wood or
other edging that will permit drainage to hold soil in place.

• Add soil.

• Set plants in place. • Water to settle soil around plants.

Urban Storm Water Management – Storage Type Devices

5. CONSTRUCTED WETLANDS

• Designed to manage peak flows and to improve

water quality of surface runoff.

• Restoring natural habitats in cities (recreation,

birdlife, etc.).

A possible design is a pond/wetland system. First pond (left) reduces velocity and removes
pollutants. The shallow marsh system stores water and is an additional treatment.
Urban Storm Water Management – Infiltration Type Devices

1. INFILTRATION TRENCHES

• Shallow excavations filled with uniformly

crushed stones.

• Walls and top lined with geo-textile to

avoid sediment penetration.

• Runoff infiltrates through the trenches

into the subsoil.

• Treatment occurs during infiltration.

• Constructed beside streets and outdoor

Design of infiltration trenches.
parking lots.
Source: RIVERSIDE (N.Y.) and SUSTAINABLE STORMWATER MANAGEMENT (2007)
Urban Storm Water Management – Infiltration Type Devices

2. VEGETED SWALES

• Open grassed channels, which allow an

infiltration along the course.

• Check dams and vegetation reduce

velocity, and allow sedimentation,
infiltration, evapotranspiration and
contaminant removal.

Enhanced grass swales feature check dams that temporarily pond runoff to increase pollutant retention
and infiltration and decrease flow velocity. Source: TRCA & CVC (2010)
Urban Storm Water Management – Infiltration Type Devices

INSTALLATION PROCESS OF VEGETATED SWALES

• Rough grade the vegetated swale.

• Construct check dams, if required.

• Fine grade the vegetated swale.

• Prior to establishment of vegetation, a swale is

specifically vulnerable to scour (friction) and
erosion and therefore its seed bed must be
protected with temporary erosion control.

• If all tributary areas are enough stabilized,

remove temporary erosion and sediment
controls.
Urban Storm Water Management – Infiltration Type Devices

3. POROUS PAVEMENTS DEVICES

• Permeable pavement surface with a stone

reservoir underneath. A theoretical cross section of
porous pavement (left) and
porous pavement during a
demonstration.
• Reservoir stores runoff water temporarily. Source: TECOECO (N.Y.)

• Afterwards, stored water is subsurface drained

or infiltrates into the subsoil.

• Often appears the same as traditional asphalt

or concrete but is manufactured with
incorporates void spaces that allow for
infiltration.
Urban Storm Water Management – Infiltration Type Devices

4. INFILTRATION BASIN

Constructed facility with highly permeable

soils.

• Water infiltrates into surrounding soil and

gets treated.

An infiltration basin. Source: VUSP (N.Y.)

(When the soil have poor infiltration characteristics)

Urban Storm Water Management – Infiltration Type Devices

5. BIO RETENTION AREAS

Constructed depression

• Larger than rain gardens and

designed with an underdrain to
connect to the storm drain system.

A mulch is a layer of material applied to the

surface of soil. Reasons for applying mulch
include conservation of soil moisture,
improving fertility and health of the soil,
reducing weed growth and enhancing the
visual appeal of the area.
Urban Storm Water Management – Infiltration Type Devices
6. STREAM BUFFER RESTORATION

• Native trees and bushes planted along the

stream or ditch.

• Strips of trees and other vegetation buffer

helps improve water quality and maximized
stream damage.

• By filtering and slowing polluted runoff .

Urban Storm Water Management – Infiltration Type Devices
6. STREAM BUFFER RESTORATION

Types of Buffer Zones:

1. Stream Side Zone- This is the closest zone to the stream. The trees and other
types of plants physically protect the stream from runoff, erosion and provide
shade to cool the water. A mature wooded forest and dense shrubs are
preferred to hold the soil together and provide suitable habitat for fish.

2. Middle Zone- This is the zone that filters, slows down, and absorbs run off
before it enters the stream. Wetlands or a forest capture and store sediment, Outer
Zone Middle
nutrients, and other pollutants. On farmland, shrubs and grasses works just as
well as forest.
Zone Stream
Side Zone
3. Outer Zone- This is the ‘buffer’ of the buffer. It is the farthest zone from the
stream and closest to the roads, farmland, and towns. Trees, shrubs and grass
will absorb and filters surface runoff into the soil.
Stream Buffer Restoration
Urban Storm Water Management – Infiltration Type Devices
7. BLUE ROOFS

• Blue roofs, also known as controlled flow

roof drain systems, provide temporary
ponding on a rooftop surface and slowly
release the ponded water through roof
drains.

• Blue roofs have weirs at the roof drain inlets

to restrict flow.

• Weirs with predetermined flow rates at

various ponding depths control the release
rate from a controlled flow roof drain.

• BauderBLUE Roof SuDS.mp4

Urban Storm Water Management – Infiltration Type Devices
8. GUTTERS

Gutters are channels fixed to the edges of

roof all around to collect and transport the
rainwater from the roof to the storage tank.
Gutters can be prepared in rectangular and
semi- circular shape. Strom drains Section
showing the details of installed gutter with
down pipe
Treatment Of Storm Water

• Contaminants in water may include algae, air pollution, bird

excrement, and leaves, sand, and dust. Local wells have dealt
with these problems for decades.

• Installation of filtration and purification equipment can remove

these contaminants at home as well.

• First, take measures to keep foreign matter out of the incoming

rain water, flush devices, gutter screens and other screening
mechanisms keep the rainwater as clean as possible before it
enters the conveyance system.

• Using screens and filters will greatly reduce maintenance and

lengthen the life of the pump and filtration / purification system.
Treatment Of Storm Water
1. FILTRATION AND UV TREATMENT

• One of the more expensive but effective

purification treatments for rainwater is that of a
combination of filtration and UV treatment.

• Physical filters “remove particulates, and the UV-

light chamber…kills bacteria and other organisms
by exposing them to high-energy ultraviolet light.”

• These systems are expensive to install, but also

cost quite a bit annually. The UV light stays on all
year, so electricity costs are, relatively, quite
high.
Treatment Of Storm Water
2. Chlorination
sodium hypochlorite

• People commonly use household bleach for this

process, which is of concern to some due to the
chemical factor.

• Wind up boiling the water first, then adding

several drops of chlorines into a quart of
rainwater.

• Allowing at least 30 minutes for the chlorine to

disinfect your water if the water is 70 degrees F
or above.

• Allow up to an hour if the water is near freezing.

 Treatment Of Storm Water
3. Solar Pasteurization

• This is one of the more labour – intensive purification processes,

but it also winds up being a bit more natural in leveraging the sun
for purification.

• A one-quart Ziploc bag be filled with water, and that the bag be
placed on two feet of aluminum foil, shiny side up in a very sunny
place.

• The bag needs to heat for several hours and the water should
remain at 160F or higher for at least that long so that waterborne
pathogens can be successfully eliminated.