Delivering better water quality: Rethinking storm water management

Traditional storm water management practices have historically been designed around a drainage system´s ability to quickly convey a storm´s peak flow by using detention structures to detain and release runoff at rates that did not exceed predevelopment peak flow rates. Within such practices downstream property is supposed to be protected from storm water flooding by controlling the rate of runoff discharged to streams and water bodies, but often fails to address runoff quality or runoff volume. Increasingly of concern and under scrutiny is what happens when rain water hits ground surfaces. This paper will examine how water quality and run off damage is best controlled and most economically achieved if storm water management starts at the point that water contacts the earth. Specific water harvesting strategies suitable as retrofit elements for existing commercial buildings and adjacent landscapes will be investigated. Case study examples from the Farmingdale State College campus will depict how surface runoff from roofs and parking lots can be harnessed for groundwater recharge and withdrawal - irrigation and ornamental features.