Practical application of study outcomes for stormwater treatment design

Abstract

This chapter focuses on translating the new knowledge created in relation to the influence of catchment and rainfall characteristics on stormwater quality, into practical application. In the first practical application, an approach consisting of a three-component model for water quality modelling is discussed. Additionally, a technically robust approach for selecting appropriate rainfall events for treatment system design is presented. As the proposed approach takes into consideration stormwater quantity and quality, it provides guidance for rainfall event selection in relation to different treatment objectives, land area available and cost-effectiveness. Based on confirmation that there is high variability in pollutant build-up even within the same land use, the second practical application shows that considering land use as a lumped parameter could contribute to significant uncertainties in stormwater quality modelling outcomes. This underlines the importance of taking site specific characteristics into account when undertaking uncertainty analysis of stormwater quality models or in interpreting the modelling outcomes.