Grant: Alliance Grants

Urban stormwater runoff is a major contributor to surface water quality impairment across Canada. For instance, stormwater runoff often contains high amounts of nutrients and chloride which are linked to harmful algal blooms and freshwater salinization challenges, respectively. There is an urgent need for greater understanding of non-point source pollutant loads in urban stormwater as well as knowledge and tools that can be applied to improve the performance of stormwater control measures in reducing these loads. The overarching project goal is to work together with our partner organizations, Ontario Ministry of Environment Conservation and Parks (MECP), City of London, and Matrix Solutions, to address these needs. The specific projects objectives are to: i) evaluate how urban land use type and climate factors influence nutrient loads from urban subwatersheds, ii) evaluate the performance of stormwater control measures in reducing nutrient loads, iii) develop new tools and recommendations to improve the performance of stormwater control measures to reduce nutrient loads, iv) evaluate the contribution of groundwater in delivering nutrients and chloride to urban streams, and v) broadly disseminate recommendations to stakeholders. The project will combine detailed field investigations (2-year duration) in an urban subwatershed in London, Ontario with advanced hydrological and water quality modeling. The project will provide our partner organizations and other stakeholders with new knowledge and tools urgently needed to improve protection of surface waters as the climate changes and urban areas continue to expand. While project work is focused on Ontario, the project outputs will be broadly relevant for urban centres across Canada. The project will train four graduate students, two postdoctoral fellows, and seven undergraduate students. It will also build the expertise of key staff at MECP, City of London, and Matrix Solutions. All research trainees will receive interdisciplinary and job-ready skills training in an inclusive, equitable and diverse environment.