The Stormwater Blog

Stormwater parks are an innovative solution for managing urban runoff while providing recreational and ecological benefits to communities. However, in dense urban areas, the large amount of land traditionally required for these parks poses a major challenge due to high costs, limited space, and competing land uses. This blog explores how high-rate bioretention systems offer a compact, efficient alternative that enables the development of successful stormwater parks even in space-constrained environments, with real-world examples from Washington State.

With urban expansion outpacing natural infrastructure, cities face a growing challenge: managing the surge of stormwater that leads to flooding, pollution, and environmental harm. One innovative solution is the stormwater park—a green space designed not only for recreational use but also to manage stormwater through advanced engineering techniques.

Civil engineers understand the delicate balance between form and function. High-rate bioretention systems, known for their efficiency in managing stormwater, offer an often overlooked benefit: aesthetics. Integrating visually appealing bioretention systems into urban landscapes can enhance community engagement, foster sustainability, and improve the overall perception of civil infrastructure.

In stormwater management, manufactured treatment devices (MTDs) are often recognized as innovative solutions for controlling runoff and enhancing water quality. Yet, despite their growing adoption, several misconceptions about these devices persist, leading to confusion and misinformed decisions. This blog will tackle some of the most prevalent myths surrounding MTDs, shedding light on their true capabilities and effectiveness.

Proprietary stormwater treatment systems, or stormwater control measures (SCMs), offer several unique benefits compared to traditional land-based SCMs. Perhaps best known for their space-efficient design, making them well-suited and essential tools when managing stormwater runoff in ultra-urban environments, proprietary SCMs have several additional benefits discussed in this blog post.

The terms “high-rate biofiltration” and “runoff reduction” aren’t often used in the same sentence. The engineering community has a preconceived notion that a high-rate biofilter with an underdrain (like Filterra®) can’t provide runoff reduction benefits because the stormwater it treats moves through the practice too quickly. However, with the proper design considerations, we can maximize the capability of a high-rate biofilter to provide appreciable runoff reduction.

To understand the physical and biological processes in a high-rate biofiltration system, it’s necessary to look at how each system component contributes to

High-rate biofiltration differs from traditional bioretention in that it has been optimized for high volume/flow treatment and high pollutant removal.

High-flow bioretention systems target the removal of suspended solids, total and dissolved nutrients and metals, oil and grease, trash, and debris. Components

High rate biofiltration continues to gain acceptance within the regulatory and engineering community as an acceptable alternative to traditional bioretention.