Looking for Stormwater Management Advice
Looking for Stormwater Management Advice
(OP)
I need to provide stormwater management for a single house on a small lot (less than 1 acre). The site it relatively flat. The client is a landscaping enthusiast.
I have a relatively new set of stormwater guidelines to content with (The Pennsyvania Dept of Environ Protection BMP Manual) I've only used it a few times, and when I have, it has been with much larger projects.
I'm trying to come up with a cost effective way to manage and infiltrate the water from the roof drains and from a new driveway.
The architect wants to use porous asphalt for the driveway, and then tie the roof drains into the infiltration bed beneath. Personally though, I am not a fan of the porous stuff--I'm afraid it will eventually get choked, and I'm also concerned that it could present a liability issue down the road, if contaminants seep in from the driveway.
A colleague suggested that I connect the roof drains to rain barrels. Since I'm not familiar with these, I have doubts about how such a system would function--since they'd be subject to freezing and since I imagine that conducting overflow far enough away from the foundations could be complicated (although I'm sure the manufacturer's will tell me otherwise.
Can anyone provide suggestions on a good way to go with this. Should I just stick with an underground infiltration bed--perhaps with some type of garden?
By the way, this is in Philadelphia, if it makes a difference.
Thanks!
I have a relatively new set of stormwater guidelines to content with (The Pennsyvania Dept of Environ Protection BMP Manual) I've only used it a few times, and when I have, it has been with much larger projects.
I'm trying to come up with a cost effective way to manage and infiltrate the water from the roof drains and from a new driveway.
The architect wants to use porous asphalt for the driveway, and then tie the roof drains into the infiltration bed beneath. Personally though, I am not a fan of the porous stuff--I'm afraid it will eventually get choked, and I'm also concerned that it could present a liability issue down the road, if contaminants seep in from the driveway.
A colleague suggested that I connect the roof drains to rain barrels. Since I'm not familiar with these, I have doubts about how such a system would function--since they'd be subject to freezing and since I imagine that conducting overflow far enough away from the foundations could be complicated (although I'm sure the manufacturer's will tell me otherwise.
Can anyone provide suggestions on a good way to go with this. Should I just stick with an underground infiltration bed--perhaps with some type of garden?
By the way, this is in Philadelphia, if it makes a difference.
Thanks!





RE: Looking for Stormwater Management Advice
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If your driveway gets choked it just runoffs to the storm drain so long as you slope it right. Or just do the old hollywood drive (2 strips of concrete).
RE: Looking for Stormwater Management Advice
Engineering is the practice of the art of science - Steve
RE: Looking for Stormwater Management Advice
Rainwater Cisterns: Design, Construction, and Water Treatment
This 15-page booklet provides plans and water treatment methods for homeowners who are planning to build a roof-catchment cistern system, or improve an existing cistern's water quality.
http://pubs.cas.psu.edu/FreePubs/pdfs/sc277.pdf
RE: Looking for Stormwater Management Advice
RE: Looking for Stormwater Management Advice
http://dnr.wi.gov/org/water/wm/nps/rg/index.htm
RE: Looking for Stormwater Management Advice
I hope someday I can repay some of you for the advice.
I've given this a lot of thought since my last post and decided it's definitely best to skip the pervious driveway--access to the site is very limited. Construction traffic will only be able to get to the site by way of the proposed driveway, presenting possible compaction issues. In addition, the driveway is shaped so that most of the pavement is within 10' of the house.
I've also started moving away from any surface type management system. The top layer of soil does not seem drain well. I've started thinking more about using an infiltration bed or trench. I have MORE questions about this, for which, I'll start a new post.
Thanks again for all of your help!