CICEET Progress Report for the period 3/01/09 Through 8/31/09

Project Title: Watershed Impact of Stormwater Bioretention and Bioinfiltration BMPs
Principal Investigator(s): R. Traver, A. Davis, W. Hunt
Project Start Date: October 1, 2007
Report Compiled By: R. Traver
Contributing Team Members and their role in the project:
Villanova – R. Traver PI
Multiple Graduate Students to include K. Danko, R. Lee.

Maryland – A. Davis Co-PI
Graduate Student Jennifer Olszewski

NC State – W. Hunt Co-PI
Multiple Graduate Students (R.A. Brown, J.M. Hathaway, J.K. McNett)

Figures

Figure 1

Figure 2

Figure 3

Figure 4

Figure 5

Plan / Process for Project Management
The CoPI’s meet regularly in person and through conference calls. Tracking of Objectives and Tasks are addressed during these calls.

Development, refinement or demonstration of the technology or approach
See Task 3

Project Evaluation: (Currently in Month 23)
Task 1. Site Review and Selection - Completed
Task 2. Field Testing - Continuing
Task 3. Field Data Evaluations. - Ongoing
Task 4. Hydrologic Modeling - Initiating

Task 0 – Award of subcontracts.
Completed - All contract documents were processed during the first three months after receiving CICEET contract.

Task 1. Site Review and Selection
Completed

The three PI’s met through conference calls and in person to review site selection and monitoring protocols
Sites in North Carolina were selected and instrumented. One location is in Rocky Mount, NC, the second is in Wilmington, NC, and the third is in Nashville, NC.

Villanova – Continuation of monitoring of existing Bio-Infiltration site. New site was equipped for hydrologic monitoring.

University of Maryland - Hydrologic monitoring of bioretention site at Silver Spring, MD is continuing as part of this project.

Task 2. Field Testing
Ongoing – Note the researchers have extended the collection of data through Dec 09, and have added past and events from other projects. No New storms will be added after Dec 09.

Villanova University - The Bioinfiltration (BTI) site has recorded 279 hydrologic Storm events through 2008, of which 177 had recorded inflow. There are approximately 70 water quality storms, which are still being updated. Note that the metals samples have a hold time of six months and will be updated to the database.

University of Maryland – A total of 126 rainfall events have been monitored for hydrology through August, 2009 in Silver Spring MD. 36 produced no runoff, 66 produced runoff but no underdrain flow, and 24 produced outflow. Also 5 events were evaluated for total P and TSS concentrations.

North Carolina State - As of August 24, 2009, a total of 112 storms have been monitored for hydrology, with 36 of those also being analyzed for water quality, in Rocky Mount. In Nashville, a total of 91 storms have been monitored for hydrology, with 33 of those being analyzed for water quality. In Wilmington, where pathogen indicator species are being examined, 18 storms have been monitored for enterrococcus concentrations and 14 samples have been collected for E.Coli from both cells. To better characterize the Wilmington cell performance, internal temperatures and soil moisture content is being monitored.

The construction methods portion of this research project was completed. Four bioretention cells (two each in sandy Nashville and clayey Raleigh) were constructed with one of two construction methods: rake or “smear” and one of two antecedent moisture conditions (dry v. wet). Soil compaction, saturated hydraulic conductivity, and permeability were all monitored at each construction location.

Task 3. Field Data Evaluations
Villanova has developed a data base in support of for future studies – This task was initiated in Dec 2008, and multiple meetings have been held reviewing the results. Additional example plots have been generated which are shown in the figures. This task has been extended to support importing of older data to expand the scope of the project.

The NCSU construction methods investigation has been completed and has provided the following information:
(1) The use of the rake methodology improves exfiltration, and limits compaction, from the bottom of the bioretention cell.
(2) Constructing during wet conditions significantly reduces exfiltration from the clayey underlying soil locations, but not the sandy underlying soil conditions.
A graph comparing soil compaction caused by the rake methodology to that of the standard smooth surface methodology is provided in Figure 5.

Task 4. Hydrologic Modeling
Revised Schedule - start January 2010

Task 5. Evaluation and Recommendations
Revised Scheduled - start October 2009. Note that this task has been started early as part of discussions for Task 3.

Key Findings
The data evaluation supports the importance of the zero outflow storms, and clarifies the roles of the bowl / media and surrounding soils. This supports all objectives of the project.

Unanticipated Issues
None other then the wealth of data generated which has increased the projected significance of the results.

Dissemination activities during this reporting period (please include the number of participants where applicable)
Workshops/ conferences/ trainings coordinated/conducted by your project team
The CoPi’s presented an update of our results at a seminar to EPA personnel in Washington DC, and subsequently to FHWA officials at the University of Maryland. As a follow on, the researchers were invited by USEPA to present results to state representatives at their closed NPDES permit conference in Philadelphia.

Two bioretention design workshops were conducted in North Carolina (Hickory – March 2009, and Raleigh – April – 2009) presenting information collected by all three researchers and relaying this information on to designers and regulators. A total of 50 people attended. Two more workshops are planned for Winston-Salem and Raleigh in late 2009.

Publications, Manuals, protocols
All three Universities presented papers at National EWRI Conference
Traver, R. “Stormwater Infiltration Retrofits Experience Gained through Long Term Monitoring” – ASCE – EWRI World Environmental and Water Resources Congress 2009 Machusick, M., Traver, R. “The Observed Effects of Stormwater Infiltration on Groundwater” – ASCE – EWRI World Environmental and Water Resources Congress 2009.

Brown, R.A, Hunt, W.F., Davis, A.P, Traver, R.G., and Olszewski, J.M. Bioretention/ Bioinfiltration Performance in the Mid-Atlantic ¬– ASCE – EWRI World Environmental and Water Resources Congress May 2009.

Brown, R.A. and Hunt, W.F. Effects of Media Depth on Bioretention Performance in the Upper Coastal Plain of North Carolina and Bioretention Construction Impacts Study – ASCE – EWRI World Environmental and Water Resources Congress May 2009.

Brown, R.A. and Hunt, W.F. Effects of Media Depth on Bioretention Performance in the Upper Coastal Plain of North Carolina and Bioretention Construction Impacts Study – ASABE Annual International Meeting, Reno, NV - June 2009. (Paper Number: 09-5795).

Hunt, W.F., Davis, A.P, Traver, R.G., Brown, R.A. and Olszewski, J.M. Bioretention/ Bioinfiltration Performance in the Mid-Atlantic ¬– UCOWR Conference, Chicago, IL - July 2009.

O’Neill, S.W. and Davis, A.P. “Analysis of Bioretention Media Specifications and Relationships to Overall Performance,” ASCE World Environmental & Water Resources Congress '09, Kansas City, MO, May, 2009.

Zhuangxiang, H. and Davis, A.P. “Unit Process Modeling of Stormwater Flow and Pollutant Sorption in a Bioretention Cell,” ASCE World Environmental & Water Resources Congress '09, Kansas City, MO, May, 2009.

Davis, A.P., Hunt, W.F., and Traver, R.G. “Sustainable Rainwater Use,” AEESP 2009 Conference - Grand Challenges in Environmental Engineering and Science: Research and Education, Iowa City, IA, July 27, 2009.

Refereed Publications
Davis, A.P., Hunt, W.F., Traver, R.G., and Clar, M. “Bioretention Technology: An Overview of Current Practice and Future Needs,” J.Environ. Eng, ASCE., 135(3) 109-117 (March 2009).

Brown, R.A. and W.F. Hunt. 2009. “Impacts of Construction Activity on Bioretention Performance.,” Journal of Hydrologic Engineering. (in press – Winter 2010 expected publication date)

Outreach Activities
Note: All three sites have research websites detailing research ongoing. Note that the overall LID-MARC site has links to all three.

See Dissemination Activities above.

Have the results/data gathered during this reporting period indicated that a change to your original approach is necessary?
No

Please describe collaboration activities with target stakeholders during this period. Has interaction with stakeholders during this period brought about any changes to the project? Have the stakeholders confirmed the relevance of the technology or approach you are working on?
Villanova has met with the VUSP Partners during this period. It has also met with the senior water managment staff at PaDEP headquarters, and the region multiple times. Dr Traver as a member of the PaDEP Water Resources Advisory Committee, and a Board Member of the LID Center.

Ongoing meetings with NC DENR (fall 2008, winter and spring 2009) have led to design manual changes associated with research supported by CICEET. A revised bioretention design chapter that incorporates guidance for designing in the coastal plain (sandy soils) and (2) employing an IWS zone was released in July 2009.

In all cases, the stakeholders have confirmed the relevance and significance of the study and the associated approaches.

Dr. Traver,
Dr. Bill Hunt and his group at NCSU conduct research and studies on stormwater BMPs, including bioretention cells. Some of this research includes the Internal Water Storage (IWS) zone and construction techniques/impacts, which has been supported by CICEET. Various members of the staff here at the NCDENR - DWQ – Stormwater Permitting Unit met with Dr. Hunt on several occasions to discuss this (and other) research and findings. Much of the information discussed has been included in the revised chapters of the NCDWQ BMP Manual, specifically substantial revisions to the bioretention design chapter. NCSU and DWQ always keep open the ongoing discussion related to BMP research that may affect what the State requires for BMP designs to protect water quality. Dr. Hunt’s research is a key part of many of the stormwater BMPs in the Manual. We strongly feel that this cooperation between NCSU and DWQ is beneficial to both parties.

Robert D. Patterson, PE
Environmental Engineer
NCDENR | DWQ | Stormwater Permitting
1617 Mail Service Center, Raleigh, NC 27699-1617

I'm not sure what comments I can offer that haven't already been expressed.

Please keep up the good work with this study on bioretention/bioinfiltration, as I see it as being one of the most adaptable BMPs in the our BMP Manual. It is not restricted by size, soil type, topography, land use, etc. We have also learned that it is not restricted by hydraulic depth (except maybe for some public safety concerns) Maintaining coordination with the end-user is very important and I appreciate the opportunity to comment.

Regards
Domenic Rocco, PE, CPSWQ | Chief, Stormwater Section Department of Environmental Protection Southeast Regional Office
2 East Main Street | Norristown, PA 19401

Please describe technical and non-technical objectives for the next reporting period and outline your work plan to meet identified objectives

Objectives:
a. To develop science-based design criteria for Bioinfiltration and Bioretention BMP design.
b. To establish expected performance measures.
c. To compare the performance of the bioretention BMP to preconstruction conditions.
d. To understand the watershed scale issues specifically bioretention performance as a peak flow control measure
e. To understand the effect of climate change on bioretention usage.
f. To remove barriers, thereby enabling LID implementation.

Work Plan to Meet Objectives:
Continue Monitoring of sites as possible (exceeds project expectations)
Continue to assemble past and current data into database to support Task 3,4,5.
Continue analysis of performance data as it relates to site parameters.
Use results from the site analysis in hydrologic modeling.
Continue to develop recommendations based upon the above.

Please describe any activities, accomplishments, or obstacles not addressed in other sections of this report that you feel are important for CICEET to know about.
The Researchers have been asked by USEPA to develop a national webinar based upon their results.