The Stormwater Blog 

Irrigation is the most common application for harvested water. Treatment requirements are lower, which makes the harvesting system simpler, and the demand can quickly drain the cistern to make room for the next storm event. However, relying solely on irrigation for net-annual runoff reduction is rarely enough. In most locations, there is significant rainfall and irrigation is unnecessary. To get meaningful runoff reduction on a net annual basis, engineers will need to find additional applications beyond irrigation.

With LID, not all solutions are created equal. There is a hierarchy in the regulations for what is the preferred technology. So it’s not so much is it approved or not approved… there are certain preferred technologies that must be considered first, and if that doesn’t work, you consider the next option in preference. This is a huge difference in conventional stormwater regulations, which says technologies must be approved by state of local jurisdictions – and then everything is on a level playing field. 

 If more than one type of infiltration system meets your project requirements, your decision may be cost driven. It’s important to maximize the storage efficiency in the available space at the lowest possible cost.  Here's a cost comparison of CMP and chambers...

The Stormwater Blog was created in the spirit of sharing information with the stormwater community (and the stormwater curious) and we feel it is important to pass on valuable resources, both locally and internationally.