The rapid conversion of land to urban and suburban areas has profoundly altered how water flows during and following storm events, putting higher volumes of water and more pollutants into the nation's rivers, lakes, and estuaries. These changes have degraded water quality and habitat in virtually every urban stream system. The Clean Water Act regulatory framework for addressing sewage and industrial wastes is not well suited to the more difficult problem of stormwater discharges. This book calls for an entirely new permitting structure that would put authority and accountability for stormwater discharges at the municipal level. A number of additional actions, such as conserving natural areas, reducing hard surface cover (e.g., roads and parking lots), and retrofitting urban areas with features that hold and treat stormwater, are recommended.
Artful Rainwater Design has three main parts: first, the book outlines five amenity-focused goals that might be highlighted in a project: education, recreation, safety, public relations, and aesthetic appeal. Next, it focuses on techniques for ecologically sustainable stormwater management that complement the amenity goals. Finally, it features diverse case studies that show how designers around the country are implementing principles of artful rainwater design.
Prepared byØtheØTask Committee of the Urban Water Resources Research Council of ASCE. Copublished by ASCE and the Water Environment Federation. Design and Construction of Urban Stormwater Management Systems presents a comprehensive examination of the issues involved in engineering urban stormwater systems. This Manual?which updates relevant portions of Design and Construction of Sanitary and Storm Sewers, MOP 37?reflects the many changes taking place in the field, such as the use of microcomputers and the need to control the quality of runoff as well as the quantity. Chapters are prepared by authors with experience and expertise in the particular subject area. The Manual aids the practicing engineer by presenting a brief summary of currently accepted procedures relating to the following areas: financial services; regulations;Ø surveys and investigations;Ø design concepts and master planning;Ø hydrology and water quality;Ø storm drainage hydraulics; andØ computer modeling.
Alluvial fans are gently sloping, fan-shaped landforms common at the base of mountain ranges in arid and semiarid regions such as the American West. Floods on alluvial fans, although characterized by relatively shallow depths, strike with little if any warning, can travel at extremely high velocities, and can carry a tremendous amount of sediment and debris. Such flooding presents unique problems to federal and state planners in terms of quantifying flood hazards, predicting the magnitude at which those hazards can be expected at a particular location, and devising reliable mitigation strategies. Alluvial Fan Flooding attempts to improve our capability to determine whether areas are subject to alluvial fan flooding and provides a practical perspective on how to make such a determination. The book presents criteria for determining whether an area is subject to flooding and provides examples of applying the definition and criteria to real situations in Arizona, California, New Mexico, Utah, and elsewhere. The volume also contains recommendations for the Federal Emergency Management Agency, which is primarily responsible for floodplain mapping, and for state and local decisionmakers involved in flood hazard reduction.
Primarily written as course material on flood control and drainage engineering for advanced students of civil engineering, this third edition is thoroughly revised. It accommodates recent developments in remote sensing, information technology and GIS technology. New additional material deals with problems of flood forecasting, flood plain prioritization and flood hazard zoning, and engineering measures for flood control. Drainage improvement is tackled, with particular regard to salinity and coastal aquifer management from the ingress of sea water. The book includes design problem-solving and case studies, making it practical and applications-oriented. The subject matter will be of considerable interest to civil engineers, agricultural engineers, architects and town planners, as well as other government and non-government organizations
Nature Based Strategies for Urban and Building Sustainability reviews the current state-of-the-art on the topic. In the introduction, the editors review the fundamental concepts of nature elements in the built environment, along with the strategies that are necessary for their inclusion in buildings and cities. Part One describes strategies for the urban environment, discussing urban ecosystems and ecosystem services, while Part Two covers strategies and technologies, including vertical greening systems, green roofs and green streets. Part Three covers the quantitative benefits, results, and issues and challenges, including energy performances and outdoor comfort, air quality improvement, acoustic performance, water management and biodiversity. - Provides an overview of the different strategies available to integrate nature in the built environment - Presents the current state of technology concerning systems and methodologies on how to incorporate nature in buildings and cities - Features the latest research results on operation and ecosystem services - Covers both established and new designs, including those still in the experimental stage
Industrial Waste Treatment Handbook provides the most reliable methodology for identifying which waste types are produced from particular industrial processes and how they can be treated. There is a thorough explanation of the fundamental mechanisms by which pollutants become dissolved or become suspended in water or air. Building on this knowledge, the reader will learn how different treatment processes work, how they can be optimized, and the most efficient method for selecting candidate treatment processes. Utilizing the most up-to-date examples from recent work at one of the leading environmental and science consulting firms, this book also illustrates approaches to solve various environmental quality problems and the step-by-step design of facilities. Practical applications to assist with the selection of appropriate treatment technology for target pollutants Includes case studies based on current work by experts in waste treatment, disposal, management, environmental law and data management Provides glossary and table of acronyms for easy reference
Global populations have grown rapidly in recent decades, leading to ever increasing demands for shelter, resources, energy and utilities. Coupled with the worldwide need to achieve lower impact buildings and conservation of resources, the need to achieve sustainability in urban environments has never been more acute. This book critically reviews the fundamental issues and applied science, engineering and technology that will enable all cities to achieve a greater level of metropolitan sustainability, and assist nations in meeting the needs of their growing urban populations.Part one introduces key issues related to metropolitan sustainability, including the use of both urban metabolism and benefit cost analysis. Part two focuses on urban land use and the environmental impact of the built environment. The urban heat island effect, redevelopment of brownfield sites and urban agriculture are discussed in depth, before part three goes on to explore urban air pollution and emissions control. Urban water resources, reuse and management are explored in part four, followed by a study of urban energy supply and management in part five. Solar, wind and bioenergy, the role of waste-to-energy systems in the urban infrastructure, and smart energy for cities are investigated. Finally, part six considers sustainable urban development, transport and planning.With its distinguished editor and international team of expert contributors, Metropolitan sustainability is an essential resource for low-impact building engineers, sustainability consultants and architects, town and city planners, local/municipal authorities, and national and non-governmental bodies, and provides a thorough overview for academics of all levels in this field. - Critically reviews the fundamental issues and applied science, engineering and technology that will enable all cities to achieve a greater level of metropolitan sustainability - Will assist nations in meeting the needs of their growing urban populations - Chapters discuss urban land use, the environmental impact of the build environment, the urban heat island effect, urban air pollution and emissions control, among other topics
