Can greenwalls contribute to stormwater management? A study of cistern storage greenwall first flush capture

Abstract

The authors set out to study the stormwater management viability of greenwalls in a simulated retention of roof runoff, using a cistern for simulated runoff to irrigate the greenwalls. By experimenting with two greenwalls of different exposures (one southeast and one northwest), this study demonstrated that the southeast facing greenwall and the northwest facing greenwall retained comparably favorable amounts to greenroof stormwater retention systems. With more and more competition for limited horizontal surface area in urbanized and urbanizing areas, the use of vertical surfaces for stormwater mitigation and evapotranspiration has attractive potential. This article presents the background, project, methods, findings, and conclusions of the study.