Title page for ETD etd-02162006-114633

Type of Document

Master's Thesis

Author

Angelo, Suzanne

URN

etd-02162006-114633

Title

Analysis of an Urban Stormwater Bioretention Management Practice in Prince William County, Virginia

Degree

Master of Science

Department

Civil Engineering

Advisory Committee

Advisor Name	Title
Grizzard, Thomas J.	Committee Chair
Godrej, Adil N.	Committee Member
Post, Harold E. II	Committee Member

Keywords

Stormwater Quality
BMP
Bioretention

Date of Defense

2005-11-21

Availability

restricted

Abstract

The performance of an urban stormwater bioretention management practice in the Kingsbrooke
Subdivision of Prince William County, Virginia was examined over a one-year period.
Bioretention is a relatively new urban stormwater best management practice (BMP) intended to mimic the
pollutant-removal characteristics of an upland forest habitat. Typical bioretention areas utilize shallow
ponding and highly-infiltrative sandy soils to treat the stormwater runoff from small commercial or
residential drainage sites. The Kingsbrooke bioretention area was found to be atypical in several ways,
including its relatively large, 14 acre, drainage area and the high clay content of its topsoil.
Hydrologic and chemical data were collected by Virginia Tech staff for a total of 8 months in 2003 and
2004. Analysis of pollutant loading data was complicated by the presence of three unmeasured water
flows: overland inflow bypassing the inflow gage, and groundwater flows both entering and exiting the
bioretention soils. The BMP did reduce peak runoff rates for some storms, but did not significantly reduce
total storm volumes because of the combined effects of the large drainage area to BMP area ratio and the
poor infiltration capacity of the soil. Pollutant load calculations determined that the site removed about
28% of total suspended solids, 32% of total phosphorus, and about 15% of total nitrogen. Removals of
approximately 16% and 7% were observed for lead and zinc, respectively. Although the Kingsbrooke
bioretention area did improve water quality, the pollutant removal efficiencies were lower than those
reported in the literature from more conventional bioretention areas.

Files

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