Review and decision support of options for the removal, treatment and disposal of stormwater sediments
Stormwater management (SWM) ponds are a widely used option to control runoff, decrease flooding potential, reduce erosion rates in receiving waters and improve water quality. Although dredging and disposal are accepted practices, there is a need to consider alternative removal techniques, since 1) overall costs for a single pond can be substantial, and 2) a large number of ponds are approaching their operational capacity. It is evident that numerous remedial and beneficial reuse options are more economically viable and environmentally stable than current options. The intent of the current research was to develop guidance for municipalities and operators when faced with contaminated stormwater sediments. This paper presents a review of potential removal, treatment, disposal and beneficial use options and offers a simple decision support methodology to aid in the selection of options.