Selection of best stormwater management alternative based on storm control measures (SCM) efficiency indices

Abstract

Overcoming conventional stormwater management problems and finding appropriate control methods for safely discharging excess runoff from impervious areas is an essential part of any sustainable urban planning. This study aims to analyze the performance of different storm control measures (SCMs) applied to Vellore Institute of Technology (VIT) campus situated in Vellore, Tamil Nadu, which is a highly urbanized catchment. Different SCMs were designed for the VIT campus based on low impact development (LID) options available in stormwater management model (SWMM) software. The most suitable SCM was selected based on its ability to match pre-urbanized hydrographs as close as possible. The SCM location was identified by a localized survey, in such a way that there is least disturbance to the existing storm sewer network. The percentage reduction of peak flow under each proposed SCM were obtained as follows: bio-retention (19.8%), rain garden (18.69%), green roof (49.17%), infiltration trench (20.02%), permeable pavement (22.6%), rain barrel (12.95%), rooftop-disconnection (10.79%) and vegetative swales (17.23%). The results indicated that Option 9 (combination of permeable pavement and bioretention) and Option 10 (permeable pavement and infiltration trench) were better at reducing peak runoff and increasing infiltration. The peak runoff reduction for Options 9 and 10 were observed to be 32.05 and 39.81%, whereas the percentage increase in infiltration was observed to be 25.7 and 29.45% respectively.