Hands down, the most important factor in the sustainability of any infiltration system is proper maintenance. By their very nature, infiltration systems are difficult to inspect and maintain. The selection of a cost-effective and easy-to-access treatment system can mean a huge difference in maintenance expenses for years to come.As site conditions

1.   SizingSizing a cistern to meet Low Impact Development (LID) rules is challenging because most jurisdictions provide limited guidance, and existing tools do not yet include Rainwater Harvesting (RWH). Sizing is best done with a continuous daily simulation model that calculates runoff captured, overflow and runoff released, domestic water

Historically, underground infiltration beds have been laid out in either square or rectangular shapes, sometimes far away from where the actual rain drops fall. These large systems are typically fed by a series of upstream catch basins and conveyance pipes. Several factors contribute to site layout, but mostly it simplifies the hydrologic and

Preserving large trees as runoff interceptors is an integral part of low impact development as well as incorporating trees and vegetation in filtration beds, rain gardens, and bioretention systems. These systems are extremely beneficial and provide essential functions of the natural landscape: infiltration, evaporation, transpiration, interception,

Traditional stormwater criteria require both improving the quality and managing the quantity of runoff. One of the best practices is to incorporate pretreatment, detention and treatment into an integrated system. This approach can meet total daily maximum load requirements by providing a high level of pollutant removal and preventing erosion damage

Infiltration plays an increasingly important role in meeting stormwater runoff mitigation regulations. One of the primary considerations for infiltration feasibility is the runoff routing.Infiltration systems must drain in a reasonable amount of time to avoid creating mosquito habitat and to recover storage volume for subsequent storms. Drain down

There are a wide variety of cistern materials to choose from. Because they are often smaller in size, residential systems offer more options, but not all will scale to tens of thousands of gallons in a cost-effective manner. This article focuses on commercial and institutional scale projects where storage requirements are thousands of gallons and

As the need for effective stormwater treatment and volume control grows, so does the number of available stormwater control measures (SCMs) such as filtration systems, hydrodynamic separators, bio-retention  systems, green roofs and pervious pavement. As part of their due diligence, engineers go through an evaluation process to determine if the

As a state stormwater regulator, I see many stormwater plans. These plans detail everything that would be done to protect water quality and prevent erosion. Yet even a well-written and well-executed BMP plan will not provide the intended service without proper maintenance.Recently, there has been a big push to implement more landscape-based BMPs

The City of Los Angeles Bureau of Sanitation received the Outstanding Stormwater Best Management Practice (BMP) Implementation Award for its Garvanza Park Stormwater BMP Project from the California Stormwater Quality Association (CASQA). The project had two primary goals: to reduce the amount of polluted runoff that enters storm drains, streams and