STORM WATER DETENTION RETENTION - A NEW SOLUTION

The management of storm water in rapidly developing areas has become a major concern in many communities. Designs of storm water disposal systems and regulations governing the handling of increased storm water flows from new construction are undergoing radical changes due to concerns over pollution control, depletion of groundwater, and salt water intrusion. Traditionally, storm drainage was designed to collect storm runoff, including roof drains, and to dispose of it as rapidly as practical into a body of surface water, usually a river, lake, or the oceans. Traditional designs, therefore, wasted the water by disposing of it into a body of water from which it could not practically be reclaimed. Such designs also took water that naturally would be recharging the groundwater aquifer and prevented that replacement. These technical notes address the concept of using the 'trench method' for storm water detention/retention and recharge of aquifers.