scholarly journals Water bodies pollution due to stormwater runoff in highways: measures and legislative framework

2013 ◽  
Vol 15 (1) ◽  
pp. 85-92 ◽  

Nowadays, it is a common ascertainment that stormwater runoff in the urban and interurban road network consist non-point source pollution which contributes to the degrading of the quality of water of ground and surface water bodies. Taking into account the fact that water pollution has impacts to people and also to flora and fauna, the need to take measures in order to confront this environmental problem becomes inevitable. The adverse impacts of the stormwater runoff can be minimized with structural and non-structural Best Management Practices (BMPs) or with a combination of them. Within the content of the present paper the following are included: a) the investigation and presentation of the receiving waters pollution issues from the highway road network stormwater runoff together with the European transport policy concerning the development of an integrated highway road network, b) the examination of the respective pollutant generation and characteristics, c) the presentation of their impacts, d) the examination of the measures (structural and nonstructural BMPs), e) the presentation of the “first flush” phenomenon, f) The presentation of the existing legislation in the EU with emphasis in the E.U. Directive 2000/60/EC as well as the presentation of the relevant existing environmental legislation in Greece, including also the presentation of the way the Highway Guidelines actually deal with the specific problem.

1995 ◽  
Vol 19 (4) ◽  
pp. 170-176 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tim O. Adams ◽  
Donal D. Hook ◽  
Michael A. Floyd

Abstract Rapid Bioassessment Protocols (RBPs) were evaluated for use in monitoring the effectiveness of silvicultural Best Management Practices (BMPs) on 27 harvested sites in South Carolina. RBP bioassessments were compared to BMP compliance checks for agreement. The results indicate that a weight-of-the-evidence approach utilizing a BMP compliance check, a stream habitat assessment, and a benthic macroinvertebrate bioassessment is the most accurate method of evaluating BMP effectiveness. These data show that implementation of BMPs during harvesting operations was sufficient for the protection of the water quality of associated streams. South. J. Appl. For. 19(4):170-176.


2008 ◽  
Vol 58 (12) ◽  
pp. 2339-2346 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sung Ryong Ha ◽  
Seung Chul Lee

Best management practices (BMPs) were used to reduce the NPS in various fields. The Korean Ministry of Environment has developed a total maximum daily load (TMDL) and adapted it to prevent water resources from pollutants in four major rivers. However, many water bodies in Korea are still polluted. It is anticipated that the NPS pollution flows into the water bodies without treatment. Nowadays, BMPs are enforced to reduce the NPS pollutant in Korean TMDL.This paper analyzes the characteristics of the reduced pollution loads by two different BMPs. We also calculate the reduced pollutant mass and the reduced pollutant loading rate to help make a plan for the pollution reduction in the Korean TMDL.The characteristics of the pollutant reduction in the BMPs were revealed through analysis of the EMC, first flush phenomenon and reduced pollution loads. Integrated facilities which combined two facilities were more effective to reduce the pollutant than the single and it was better to remove the beginning of the runoff as a first flush effectively than treat all runoff in the facilities.


2001 ◽  
Vol 11 (2) ◽  
pp. 326-331 ◽  
Author(s):  
S. Varlamoff ◽  
W.J. Florkowski ◽  
J.L. Jordan ◽  
J. Latimer ◽  
K. Braman

A survey of Georgia homeowners provided insights about their use of fertilizers and pesticides. Knowledge of current homeowner practices is needed to develop a best management practices manual to be used by Master Gardeners to train the general public through the existing outreach programs. The objective of the training program is to reduce nutrient runoff and garden chemicals and improve the quality of surface water in urban water-sheds. Results showed three of four homeowners did their own landscaping and, therefore, fully controlled the amount of applied chemicals and the area of application. Fertilizers were primarily applied to lawns, but a high percentage of homeowners also applied them to trees, shrubs, and flowers. Insecticides were applied by a larger percentage of homeowners than herbicides. Control of fire ants (Solenopsis invicta) was likely the reason behind the frequent use of insecticides. The desire for a weed free lawn was the plausible motivation behind the use of herbicides, which were used mostly on lawns. Fungicide use was infrequently reported by Georgia homeowners. The pattern of fertilizer and pesticide use suggests that the developed manual should emphasize techniques and cultural practices, which could lower the dependence on chemicals, while ultimately assuring the desired appearance of turf and ornamental plants.


Author(s):  
Thewodros K. Geberemariam

Infiltration based stormwater best management practices bring considerable economic, social and ecological benefits. Controlling stormwater quantity and quality are primarily important to prevent urban flooding and minimizing loads of pollutants to the receiving waters. However, there have been growing concerns about how the traditional design approach contributes to the failure of infiltration based BMP’s that have caused flooding, ponding, prolonged movement of surface water, and frequent clogging, etc. Many of these problems were due to the fact that the current design approaches of stormwater BMP’s only focus on surface hydrology and give little or no attention to the underline subsoil permeability rate and other constraints during the design and sizing process. As a result, we are exhibiting many newly constructed infiltration based BMP’s are failing to function well. This paper presents and demonstrates a new paradigm shift in designing infiltration-based stormwater BMP’s by combining subsurface hydrology and undelaying native soil constraints to establish acceptable criteria for sizing infiltration based BMPs.


1998 ◽  
Vol 38 (10) ◽  
pp. 91-97 ◽  
Author(s):  
H. Sieker ◽  
M. Klein

Because of multiple constraints, e.g. existing drainage systems, little available space and higher costs, Best Management Practices (BMP) for stormwater-runoff in existing urban areas is more difficult to apply than for new urban developments. For a large urban catchment (about 22 km2) with a separate drainage system in Berlin, Germany a combination of decentral (non-structural) and semi-central stormwater-management measures proved to be the best solution. It offers a high effectiveness concerning stormwater treatment at relatively low costs. Modern planning tools such as Geographic Information Systems (GIS) were used to investigate the possibilities of implementing decentral measures in larger areas. Correlations between field surveys and data from the ‘Environmental Information System’ of Berlin shows that even in highly urbanised areas a disconnection of 30% of the impervious area can easily be achieved. The resulting reduction of the discharge makes it possible to convert existing retention tanks to soil filter tanks. The purification efficiency of this combined measures is higher than of a central stormwater settling tank which has been simulated with a pollution load model.


2005 ◽  
Vol 22 (4) ◽  
pp. 243-247 ◽  
Author(s):  
René H. Germain ◽  
John F. Munsell

Abstract Harvest access systems (forest roads, skid trails, and landings) account for 90% of the erosion and sedimentation during harvesting activities. A well-planned harvest access system can reduce the surface area disturbed by logging, thereby decreasing the potential for erosion and sedimentation. Most Best Management Practices (BMP) guidelines suggest that the area disturbed by the harvest access system should range from 10 to 15%. We measured surface area disturbance by the harvest access system on 43 harvest sites on nonindustrial private forestlands in northern hardwood cover types in New York State and found that the average area percent disturbed was 6% with a range of 3 to 13%. The quality of BMP implementation was positively associated with the percentage of surface area disturbed, suggesting that harvests with a low percentage of surface area disturbance do not necessarily exhibit high-quality BMP.North. J. Appl. For. 22(4):243–247.


2007 ◽  
Vol 55 (3) ◽  
pp. 1-7 ◽  
Author(s):  
B.J. D'Arcy ◽  
T. Rosenqvist ◽  
G. Mitchell ◽  
R. Kellagher ◽  
S. Billett

Urban sources account for significant quantities of important diffuse pollutants, and urban watercourses are typically badly polluted. As well as toxic metals, hydrocarbons including PAHs, and suspended matter, priority urban pollutants include faecal pathogens and nutrients. Can urban watercourses be restored by sufficient reductions in pollution loads? Case studies in the UK and Sweden provide insights and some grounds for optimism. A major trans-Atlantic review of the performance of best management practices (BMPs) is informing BMP planning. New approaches such as the maximisation of self-purification capacity in the receiving waters may also need to be developed, alongside BMPs at source. Other initiatives in Europe, USA and China, including collaborative projects, are trying to address the intractable issues such as persistent pollutants from transport and urban infrastructure. The challenge is daunting, but there are clear ways forward and future research needs are evident.


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