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https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/27432/critical-issues-in-transportation-for-2024-and-beyond

Performance Evaluation of Constructed Storm Water Quality Treatment Products

The proposed investigation will evaluate the effectiveness of Advanced Drainage Systems (ADS) Flexstorm™ catch basin inserts for the collection and treatment of storm water runoff. Catch basin inserts are becoming a common and practical solution for municipalities required to comply with storm water quality requirements as mandated by the United States Clean Water Act and the Ohio Department of Transportation Storm Water Management Program (SWMP). The inserts are designed as a relatively low-cost retrofit solution for storm water quality treatment in high contaminant load areas within urban environments. Flexstorm™ inserts are used where the installation of other treatment structures would be too difficult or expensive due to existing structures, utilities, or space limitations. The investigation will be conducted in two phases. Much of the physical work that includes catch basin selection, sample collection and sample analysis will be conducted by graduate students in fulfillment of their thesis requirements under the direction of Dr. Jeffrey Dick and Harry Bircher, P.E.. The first phase will involve the location and characterization of catch basins and associated drainage areas within the Youngstown State University campus and the bounding roadways of Fifth, Lincoln, and Wick Avenues and the service road bounding the northern edge of campus. Each catch basin will be located and its associated drainage area will be delineated. Once the catch basins have been identified, storm water samples will be collected and analyzed for common pollutants. Catch basin structures showing high pollutant loading will be fitted with Flexstorm™ inserts for use in Phase 2 of the study. Phase 2 will involve the collection of runoff samples before entering the Flexstorm™ filters and after passing through the filters. The Youngstown State University campus was chosen for the study for several reasons. First, it is a convenient and safe location for students to conduct the research. The campus location reduces travel time and expense and provides a safe and controlled site to collect samples (for example, access will be assured and campus grounds and police can help provide a safe working environment). Secondly, collected storm water samples can be immediately taken to the laboratory for analysis. Third, the campus has a variety of land uses that are representative of an urban environment with parking lots, parking garages, various traffic load roadways, service drives, delivery zones, and lawn areas within a compact area. These conditions allow for easy adaptation of the results to a broad array of storm water catchment settings within urban areas across Ohio. Phase 1: Survey, identification, and selection of storm water catchment structures. Phase 2: Evaluation the effectiveness of ADS Flexstorm™ catch basin inserts as a retrofit for storm water quality treatment.