Grantee Research Project Results

2016 Progress Report: Next Generation Volume Reduction Green Infrastructure Stormwater Control Measures in Support of Philadelphia's Green City Clean Waters Initiative

EPA Grant Number: R835556
Title: Next Generation Volume Reduction Green Infrastructure Stormwater Control Measures in Support of Philadelphia's Green City Clean Waters Initiative
Investigators: Traver, Robert , Welker, Andrea , Wadzuk, Bridget , Clayton, Garrett M , Eisenman, Sasha W , Sen, Siddhartha
Current Investigators: Traver, Robert , Welker, Andrea , Wadzuk, Bridget , Clayton, Garrett M , Eisenman, Sasha W , Sen, Siddhartha , Sanders, Tonya , Hunter, James , Smith, Virginia , Shin, Hyeon-Shic
Institution: Villanova University , Morgan State University , Temple University
EPA Project Officer: Packard, Benjamin H
Project Period: September 1, 2013 through August 31, 2017 (Extended to August 31, 2018)
Project Period Covered by this Report: September 1, 2015 through August 31,2016
Project Amount: $1,000,000
RFA: Performance and Effectiveness of Green Infrastructure Stormwater Management Approaches in the Urban Context: A Philadelphia Case Study (2012) RFA Text |  Recipients Lists
Research Category: Watersheds , Water

Objective:

In partnership with the Philadelphia Water Department, this project is focused on green infrastructure stormwater control measures (GI SCMs) to evaluate their performance and inform future designs in support of Philadelphia’s "Green City, Clean Waters" program. The four project tasks are described in brief below.

Task 1: Evaluate the current generation of GI SCMs to develop, design, and validate the next generation of GI SCMs
Task 2: Evaluate the benefits of GI SCMs to neighborhoods
Task 3: Develop a collaborative research environment for GI within the Philadelphia Community
Task 4: Disseminate results and enhance science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) education

Progress Summary:

We are pleased to report that significant progress has been achieved over the reported period and the PI and Co-PIs are confident that they will meet all goals and accomplishments of the grant. Four sites have been instrumented as per the Quality Assurance Project Plan (QAPP) and are currently recording data (Figure 1).   

Figure 1 - GI SCM Research Sites; a. Tree Trench; b.& c. Upper and Lower Rain Gardens; d. Sidewalk Planter

The focus of data analysis during Year 3 was using the Zoo rain garden sites, which were fully instrumented for the entire reporting year. Inflow, storage and outflow monitoring data were analyzed for storm events and field tests to determine the performance of the system under a wide variety of conditions. Working with the Philadelphia Water Department, a total of 8 metered hydrant flow tests (simulated runoff tests, or SRTs) were conducted at the Philadelphia Zoo rain gardens. These evaluations serve as valuable test of instrumentation, and important comparisons of site response to hydrology under controlled conditions (Figure 2).

Figure 2, Lower rain garden response to two SRTs (3 inch and 2 inch respectively) and a one-inch real storm in a 28-hour application period.

Initial analysis of the data from both actual storm events and SRTs indicates that the sites are far outperforming their designs. Small storms (0.5 inch volume) generate runoff, ponding, and seepage storage, but not overflow to storage.  Large storms (2+ inch volume) generate runoff, significant ponding, overflow to storage, but not system overflow. The observed patterns are consistent, regardless of storm volume, intensity or prior rainfall events, with regard to timing of rise, peak and recession in ponded depth and rock bed depth, as well as for recession rates.

Future Activities:

Over the subsequent reporting period, the primary objectives will be to advance activities on all project tasks especially related to, analyzing and comparing collected data to Storm Water Management Model (SWMM) and vadose zone models, low cost instrumentation, collaborative research with Temple and Morgan State, and continued STEM and outreach activities.

Journal Articles:

No journal articles submitted with this report: View all 19 publications for this project

Supplemental Keywords:

Stormwater control measure, watersheds, cost-benefit, engineering, Pennsylvania (PA), green infrastructure, stormwater management, urban green space;

Relevant Websites:

Villanova Urban Stormwater Partnership Exit

Progress and Final Reports:

Original Abstract

2014 Progress Report

2015 Progress Report

2017 Progress Report

Final Report