Grant: Collaborative Research and Development Grants

Urbanization has altered the natural hydrologic cycle by turning the absorbent green lands into concrete hard surfaces and resulted in increased storm water runoff and deteriorated water quality. As a remedy, Low Impact Development (LID) concept has been introduced to storm water management. LID is an ecosystem-based approach to manage storm water by replicating natural hydrology and processes to manage storm water close to its source and to restore the biodegradation processes in soils and vegetation. Bioretention systems are becoming best management practices for managing urban storm water quantity and quality. Bioretention systems are shown effective in reducing storm water volume and peak flow and improving storm water quality in warm and temperate climate. However, the applicability of bioretention system in cold and semi-arid climate, such as Edmonton and Canadian Northern Prairies, has not been studied. The objectives of this project are: (1) to investigate and determine local soil amendments options for bioretention systems, (2) to examine storm water volume and peak flow reduction and quality improvements by bioretention systems in cold climate, (3) to evaluate long-term performance of bioretention systems, (4) to understand the pollutant reduction and transport mechanism of major pollutants in the system, and (5) to assess applicability of bioretention system to treat snowmelt runoff. This project will take a systematic approach to conduct laboratory and field experiments to achieve these objectives. The outcome of the project will fill knowledge gaps regarding performance of bioretention systems in cold climate and provide criteria for better design of bioretention systems in cold climate. The graduate students working on this project will receive high quality training and gain valuable experience on implementation of bioretention systems in cold climate, therefore, becoming more employable.