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Stormwater Non-Potable Beneficial Uses and Effects on Urban Infrastructure (WERF Report INFR3SG09)
Citation:
Pitt, R., L. Talebi, R. Bean, AND S. Clark. Stormwater Non-Potable Beneficial Uses and Effects on Urban Infrastructure (WERF Report INFR3SG09). Water Environment Research Foundation, Alexandria, VA, 2012.
Impact/Purpose:
This report consolidates information pertaining to beneficial uses of stormwater, an emerging topic not supported by much guidance. It uses case study summaries to demonstrate how stormwater beneficial uses can be applied to various U.S. conditions. Stormwater quality and use criteria are reviewed to highlight potential problems. Summaries are presented of available treatment approaches to help identify potential methods to meet the use criteria. Design methods are presented to size storage tank facilities reflecting regional conditions. Detailed evapotranspiration information is presented, along with discussions of how various evapotranspiration data sources can be used to develop specific designs for an area.
Description:
This project shows that lessons learned and successes from a wide variety of international stormwater beneficial use projects cover a range of conditions that may be found in the U.S. Examined are case studies from developing countries in both arid and wet climates, case studies from developed countries in areas where future water conservation is necessary to support continued growth, and from developed countries where sustainable use of natural resources is of high priority. Also examined are typical water quality conditions from different stormwater sources in urban areas and desirable (or regulated) water quality requirements for the use of this water for different applications. Water quality degradation associated with different storage options is also reviewed along with different water treatment options to meet the needed “finished” water quality before use. Guidance is provided on how to determine the amount of supplemental landscape irrigation needed from stored stormwater, and how to calculate needed tankage volumes for many locations in the U.S. The report calculates the beneficial use opportunities of stormwater, especially landscaping irrigation, in different areas of the country, along with continuous modeling results for the development of production functions for tankage volume alternatives. [NOTE: The link below connects to a WERF site where the Final Report can be downloaded for free, after registering at the WERF site. For some projects the Executive Summary is available and can be downloaded for free without registering on the WERF site.]
