United States
Environmental Protection
Agency
RESEARCH PROJECT
National Risk Management Research Laboratory
Water Supply and Water Resources Division
Urban Watershed Management Branch
PERFORMANCE TESTING OF BEST MANAGEMENT PRACTICES
IMPACT STATEMENT
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) lacks
robust data documenting the performance of best
management practices (BMPs) regarding stormwater
management, and a clear understanding of the
performance changes associated with conditions. By
generating these data, the National Risk Management
Research Laboratory's Water Supply and Water
Resources Division (WSWRD) of EPA's Office of Research
and Development can facilitate the adoption and
implementation of effective BMPs for stormwater
management. States, local utilities, governments, and
other decision-making bodies are looking to EPA for
these data in order to establish preferred stormwater
management practices.
BACKGROUND:
WSWRD undertook field investigations attempting to document the performance of selected stormwater controls.
These efforts demonstrated the difficulties of collecting valid data in sufficient quantity to establish statistical confidence
in the reported performance. While the results strongly support the presumptive performance, they fail to establish the
capabilities at a known level of certainty. WSWRD concluded that it would only be possible to collect these data if the
management practice was designed and constructed to be monitored. The devices are in various stages of completion at
EPA's Edison Environmental Center (EEC), in Edison, New Jersey.
DESCRIPTION:
This project performs controlled-condition engineering evaluations documenting the performance of commonly
selected stormwater runoff BMPs, including rain gardens, permeable pavement and swales. WSWRD constructed
working examples of these BMPs at the EEC to facilitate performance monitoring as part of the design.
EPA GOAL: Goal #2 - Clean & Safe Water, Objective 2.1.1- Water Safe to Drink
ORD MULTI YEAR PLAN: Water Quality (WQ), Long Term Goal - WQ-2 Protection and Restoration of Aquatic Systems
RESEARCH PARTNERS:
Contractors: PARS Environmental, Inc.
Collaboration: Dr. Chris Obrupta, Rutgers University
EXPECTED OUTCOMES AND IMPACTS
This experiment is expected to produce data that will provide EPA with the ability to guide and support the states, local
utilities and governments, and other decision-making bodies in the design and performance evaluations of stormwater
management controls. The performance data from these stormwater management controls is necessary in considering
National Risk Management Research Laboratory
Water Supply and Water Resources Division
-------
the more cost effective distribution in the watershed to meet water quality objectives and the total maximum daily load
(TMDL).
OUTPUTS:
Current and expected project outputs include conference presentations, newsletter articles, science briefs, and journal
articles.
RESOURCES:
National Risk Management Research Laboratory (NRMRL): http://www.epa.gov/nrmrl/
Urban Watershed Management Research: http://www.epa.gov/ednnrmrl/
CONTACT:
Michael Borst, Principle Investigator - (732) 321-6631 or borst.mike@epa.gov
Steven Doub, Media Relations - (513) 569-7503 or doub.steven@epa.gov
Michelle Latham, Communications - (513) 569-7601 or latham.michelle@epa.gov
National Risk Management Research Laboratory
Water Supply and Water Resources Division
www.epa.gov/nrmrl
EPA/600/F-09/037
October 2009
------- |