Oldcastle Infrastructure Written

Written

Course Information
Stormwater is a resource to be managed. Stormwater systems require maintenance to ensure they will continue to function properly and control flooding, provide water quality benefits, ensure public safety, meet regulatory requirements, and provide a return on the community’s financial investment. Management includes hydraulic, hydrologic, treatment or some combination of the three. The primary goal is to address pollutants such as Total Suspended Solids, trash and nutrients before they reach the receiving waters. Many methods and solutions can be used to treat pollutants and address the hydrologic changes development creates, including, but not limited to, detention filtration in green infrastructure. Stormwater systems range from large concrete storm sewers, roadside ditches and flood-control reservoirs to rain gardens and natural riverine systems.

Author
Craig Ramsey, Managing Director of Maintenance - Stormwater, Oldcastle Infrastructure

Learning Objectives
By the conclusion of this article, the reader should be able to understand the following:

• Why stormwater maintenance is important, even when it is not required.

• Regulatory requirements, from the national to the local level.

• Legal responsibilities and consequences.

• Lifecycle costs of stormwater management and the cost of not maintaining stormwater BMPs.

• The environmental benefits of stormwater management.