Explaining Urban Stormwater Capture

Urban stormwater can be more than just a nuisance.

That’s the takeaway from a report released recently by global water think tank the Pacific Institute and 2NDNATURE Software Inc., a provider of stormwater management software.

The report, titled Untapped Potential: An Assessment of Urban Stormwater Runoff Potential in the United States, says there are multiple ways that cities in the U.S. – particularly those in coastal regions, could make greater use of stormwater, which is typically seen today as a nuisance to be removed as quickly as possible.

“…Water scarcity is a growing risk due in part to natural hydrologic variability, population and economic growth, and the intensifying effects of climate change,” the report reads. “Yet, traditional water sources, such as freshwater from rivers and streams and underground aquifers, are increasingly facing peak water limits. These constraints have led water providers to adopt water conservation and efficiency to reduce demand and develop new, alternative water supply strategies, such as reusing treated wastewater and capturing urban stormwater runoff.”

Urban stormwater – runoff generated from precipitation falling on rooftops, roads, and other impervious surfaces in urbanized areas – has historically been considered a nuisance or hazard because it carries pollution from roads and other urban surfaces to rivers, lakes, estuaries, and the ocean, threatening both aquatic life and public health. Additionally, it can lead to flooding that causes property damage and risks for communities.

Because of these risks, urban areas are typically designed with dedicated storm sewers to collect and dispose of the runoff into nearby waterways or detention ponds as quickly as possible. However, as water scarcity as become an increasingly serious problem across the globe, more and more cities are looking at a way to capture stormwater and put it to good use.

In Los Angeles County, more than 27,000 acre-feet (8.8 billion gallons) of stormwater is captured annually at centralized spreading grounds where it recharges groundwater in the San Fernando Groundwater Basin. And in New York City, curbside rain gardens capture stormwater to help reduce the risk of flooding.

Stormwater capture is also garnering increased attention and support at the federal level. The United States Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Water Reuse Action Plan (WRAP) provides a roadmap for collaboration and action to implement water reuse strategies across the United States.

The Untapped Potential report details how stormwater capture can be achieved at a variety of scales, and include traditional gray infrastructure, such as storm sewers and combined sewers that route stormwater to a treatment facility or storage pond for infiltration, or green infrastructure, such as bioswales and rain gardens that use plants and soils to slow, filter, and store stormwater before it enters the storm system. A mix of both gray and green infrastructure can also be used to capture stormwater.

“…[Reusing treated wastewater and capturing urban stormwater runoff] can help ‘close the gap’ between existing and anticipated water supply and demand and support long-term water resilience,” the report reads.

GPRS Keeps Water & Wastewater Projects On Track

Whether you need to maintain and preserve your existing water and wastewater infrastructure or are looking to install stormwater capture systems to improve your existing systems, GPRS has the subsurface damage prevention, existing conditions documentation, and construction & facilities project management services to ensure the success of your project.

When breaking ground, it’s vital you know what’s below to avoid subsurface damage that could endanger your workers, wreck your budget, and decimate your schedule. GPRS utilizes ground penetrating radar scanners and electromagnetic (EM) locators to provide 99.8%+ accurate utility locating and concrete scanning services to help you know what’s below so you can dig, cut, and core with confidence.

Water lines can develop links that cost you tens of thousands of dollars in non-revenue water (NRW) loss. And sewer lines can be compromised by defects such as inflow/infiltration (I/I) and cross bores, which can threaten the health and safety of entire communities.

GPRS leak detection and video pipe inspection (VPI) services help you maintain, preserve, and update your water and wastewater infrastructure. Using acoustic leak detection and leak detection correlators, our water loss specialists locate leaks and provide insights into your water distribution system. And on the wastewater side, our NASSCO-certified VPI Project Managers use sophisticated, remote-controlled sewer inspection rovers and push-fed scopes equipped with CCTV cameras and sondes: instrument probes that allow us to map your sewer and stormwater systems while we’re inspecting them for defects.

From skyscrapers to sewer lines, GPRS Intelligently Visualizes The Built World^® to keep your projects on time, on budget, and safe.

What can we help you visualize? Click below to schedule a service or request a quote today!

Frequently Asked Questions

How many miles of water lines can GPRS inspect in one day?

Our professional leak inspection specialists can test up to 10 miles of pipe a day on a metallic system (cast iron/ductile) and can test a contact point (hydrant/valve) within a minute before moving on to the next one. They’re able to work so efficiently because they are trained to hear the specific tone that a leak produces compared to any other number of noises a general environment makes.

Can a GPRS Project Manager determine the size of the leak they’ve detected?

We can determine the size of the leak by how far the leak signal travels between contact points and the pitch of the tone received. We do not, however, produce formal leak size estimation reports.

What size wastewater pipes can GPRS inspect?

Our elite, NASSCO-certified Project Managers have the capabilities to inspect pipes from 2” in diameter and up.

What deliverables does GPRS offer when conducting a sewer pipe inspection?

GPRS is proud to offer WinCan reporting to our Video Pipe Inspection clients. Maintaining sewers starts with understanding sewer condition, and WinCan allows GPRS Project Managers to collect detailed, NASSCO-compliant inspection data. GPRS Project Managers not only inspect the interior condition of sewer pipes, laterals, and manholes – they can also provide a map of their location. The GPRS Mapping & Modeling Department can provide GPS overlays and CAD files. Our detailed WinCan/NASSCO reports contain screenshots of the interior condition of the pipe segments that we inspect, as well as a video file for further evaluation, documentation, and/or reference.