The rapid conversion of land to urban and suburban areas has profoundly altered how water flows during and following storm events, putting higher volumes of water and more pollutants into the nation's rivers, lakes, and estuaries. These changes have degraded water quality and habitat in virtually every urban stream system. The Clean Water Act regulatory framework for addressing sewage and industrial wastes is not well suited to the more difficult problem of stormwater discharges. This book calls for an entirely new permitting structure that would put authority and accountability for stormwater discharges at the municipal level. A number of additional actions, such as conserving natural areas, reducing hard surface cover (e.g., roads and parking lots), and retrofitting urban areas with features that hold and treat stormwater, are recommended.

Prepared byØtheØTask Committee of the Urban Water Resources Research Council of ASCE. Copublished by ASCE and the Water Environment Federation. Design and Construction of Urban Stormwater Management Systems presents a comprehensive examination of the issues involved in engineering urban stormwater systems. This Manual?which updates relevant portions of Design and Construction of Sanitary and Storm Sewers, MOP 37?reflects the many changes taking place in the field, such as the use of microcomputers and the need to control the quality of runoff as well as the quantity. Chapters are prepared by authors with experience and expertise in the particular subject area. The Manual aids the practicing engineer by presenting a brief summary of currently accepted procedures relating to the following areas: financial services; regulations;Ø surveys and investigations;Ø design concepts and master planning;Ø hydrology and water quality;Ø storm drainage hydraulics; andØ computer modeling.

The intense concentration of human activity in urban areas leads to changes in both the quantity and quality of runoff that eventually reaches our streams, lakes, wetlands, estuaries and coasts. The increasing use of impervious surfaces designed to provide smooth and direct pathways for stormwater run-off, has led to greater runoff volumes and flow velocities in urban waterways. Unmanaged, these changes in the quantity and quality of stormwater can result in considerable damage to the environment. Improved environmental performance is needed to ensure that the environmental values and beneficial uses of receiving waters are sustained or enhanced. Urban Stormwater - Best-Practice Environmental Management Guidelines resulted from a collaboration between State government agencies, local government and leading research institutions. The guidelines have been designed to meet the needs of people involved in the planning, design or management of urban land uses or stormwater drainage systems. They provide guidance in ten key areas: *Environmental performance objectives *Stormwater management planning *Land use planning *Water sensitive urban design *Construction site management *Business surveys *Education and awareness *Enforcement *Structural treatment measures *Flow management Engineers and planners within local government, along with consultants to the development industry, should find the guidelines especially useful. Government agencies should also find them helpful in assessing the performance of stormwater managers. While developed specifically for application in Victoria, Australia, the information will be of value to stormwater managers everywhere.