Impact of Stormwater in Urban Areas

The impact of stormwater in urban areas deteriorates the external landscape and infrastructure. Understanding the characteristics of stormwater as well as how it can be controlled and treated also assists with better urban results. There are methods that can be used to reduce the impact of stormwater, specifically because of patterns and characteristics of the water. This offers erosion control and stops deterioration of landscapes.

The recent study from the Water Environment Research reviewed hundreds of articles to look at the characteristics of stormwater. The quality and quantity of stormwater are the most prevalent changes which occur. These characteristics impact the amount of deterioration which takes place and creates the water erosion with landscapes. By looking at the amount of stormwater impacting hardscapes as well as the texture and quality of the water, erosion control becomes easier to manage.

Engineering techniques are able to counteract the stormwater that is impacting hardscapes. Erosion and sediment control can be defined by measuring the impact of the water. Construction and engineering practices are first based on the infrastructure of the region. Adding in wetlands and ponds assists with treatment of hardscapes. This is able to navigate the stormwater while reducing the amount of erosion with urban development.

It is also found that there are modelling structures with materials used. Permeable pavement is one of the alternatives used to assist with the navigation of stormwater. This solution absorbs stormwater naturally while maintaining balance with the soil and in different regions. By doing this, it assists with erosion control of urban development areas. The permeable pavement is paralleled with solutions such as harvesting systems and green roofs, all which assist with the maintenance of stormwater with natural balance with environment and urbanization.

Through the various treatments and infrastructure changes, stormwater is able to naturally assist with erosion control. It was found that combining these with pollution treatments and control structures is able to enhance the urban infrastructure. By adding in spatial controls in combination with the engineering methods, it provides erosion control and durable urban areas.