Stormwater Management
Stormwater Management is a necessary component of urban infrastructure. In simple terms, precipitation that lands on the ground surface is distributed in several components.
- Infiltration: water that infiltrates into the ground
- Evapotranspiration: evaporates into the air or is consumed by plants
- Runoff: travels on the surface
In a natural setting, the presence of vegetation and the lack of hard surfaces means that a relatively small part of the rainfall produces runoff. In urban communities, the introduction of hard surfaces and the reduction in vegetation cover alter this proportion creating more runoff. Therefore, there is less infiltration and evapotranspiration.
During a storm event, this increase in surface runoff can result in both flooding and erosion of our streams. These hazards can be a threat to human life, property, infrastructure and the health of our streams. In addition, human activities produces pollution, which in combination with the increased runoff can degrade our water resources and our natural heritage system.
Effective stormwater management is essential for the management of quantity and quality of runoff generated by our communities in order to prevent these negative impacts.
