Note: please note that this profile of a policy option or program model should (a) link back to the issue overview on this topic, (b) be focused either the local, state, national, or global level, and (c) be neutrally presented, based on facts, and include footnotes for each of the items. See the Research Guide and Information Sources to assist you.
This policy option or model program profile relates to the following issue overview(s):
Summary
The storm water problem in Florida consists of the increasing urbanization that is resulting in much of the area becoming impervious. This is resulting in rate of discharge, volume of discharge, and pollutant mass discharge to increase. In addition, human pollutants such as pesticides, fertilizers, animal wastes, oil, grease, etc., are entering into the storm waters and contaminating them. In Florida, storm water is the largest source of pollutants to lakes, rivers, and estuaries.
Goal
To fix this problem, Florida has set a goal of creating storm water management practice that satisfies water quality and quantity considerations and have necessary funding to construct and operate these facilitates. Implementing this plan will require the use of at least five storm water management practices in Florida:
- off-life retention by infiltration ponds and exfiltration trenches
- wet-detention ponds
- swales that both infiltrate and transport
- porous parking areas
- alum injection
Cost
Implementation
- In an infiltration pond, soil beneath the pond must be capable of percolating the infiltrated water, so that the pond can store a specific amount of runoff. The State of Florida used rainfall analysis to design the criteria for the pond’s volume.
- Porous Parking Area is used to reduce peak runoff and infiltration rainwater over previous concrete surface. Application of these previous surfaces has been found statewide and is limited to parking and walkway areas.
- Swales are vegetated ditches that both infiltrate and transport runoff water. The designed infiltration volume is based on a State rule that requires 80% of runoff from the three-year, one-hour design storm to be infiltrated over the length of the ditch. Design equations are available and were developed by the Florida Department of Transportation.
- Retention using exfiltration trenches is an excavated trench backfilled with coarse graded rock that collects runoff. Perforated pipe systems are sometimes used to increase storage volume since the rock aggregate has a porosity of about one-half or less that of the pipe. These exfiltration trenches with pipes and rock are used in central Florida, whereas southern Florida frequently doesn’t use pipes.
Evaluation
- The progress on these practices has been quite forthcoming. Not all of these practices have been put into place yet, but great strides are being made to install them. These techniques will prove crucial in managing storm water runoff. Each technique being currently implemented has a specific function to help reduce runoff.
Status
- Similar projects have been implemented all over Florida and are working effectively to manage storm water.
Contact
Martin Wanielista
College of Engineering,
University of Central Florida
Orlando, FL 32816
Eric Livingston
State Department of Environmental Regulation
2600 Blairstone Road
Tallahassee, FL 32301
Bibliography