Protecting Salt Vulnerable Areas Using an Enhanced Roadside Drainage System (ERDS)

Abstract

De-icing road salt application as a part of winter road maintenance is a standard practice with over 60 billion kilograms applied to roads worldwide each winter to ensure traffic safety. However, high concentrations of chlorides in melted ice and snow runoff from roads and parking lots can have adverse effects on both surface and ground water, especially in salt vulnerable areas. A salt vulnerable area is a sensitive area to road salts where additional salt management measures may be required to mitigate potential adverse environmental effects. The main objectives of this paper were to present a new design method for sizing Enhanced Roadside Drainage Systems (ERDS), demonstrate the findings of a 3 year field monitoring and to assess the long term performance of the ERDS design using PCSWMM. A new conceptual design of ERDS was also modelled to demonstrate its effectiveness in protecting salt vulnerable areas. To showcase the new design method, we completed two case studies, one for a relatively pristine headwater stream and one for a moderately impacted urban stream. Stormwater management models were developed for the two scenarios—with and without the ERDS—to assess the benefits of the new system and its effectiveness in protecting salt vulnerable areas at each site.