Quality & Quantity Management Mapping and Messaging of Stormwater Contamination in Detroit
From students: Kate B, Kate E, and Sandaruwan
Stormwater runoff is an issue in Detroit that has become more critical with climatic changes and results in peak rainfall events that overwhelm Detroit's combined sewer system. Stormwater management is complicated in Detroit due to the problems of aging infrastructure and lack of adequate maintenance due to its recent economic downturn. In addition, there are regular occurrences of combined sewer overflows that results in direct disposal into the environment, increasing its contaminants load. The lack of adequate data on the contaminants characteristic in storm water runoff has made management of stormwater unsuccessful. Effective management of stormwater quality and quantity in urban areas is critical to achieving sustainability goals. A city like Detroit would need an update on the quality of stormwater generated specifically because of recent development on vacant lands. Many of these developments contribute to the stormwater runoff and their impact should be monitored. Also, there are concerns that contaminants in stormwater runoff without stipulated maximum contaminants levels are being disposed directly into the environment. The goal of this study is to provide data that will assist water managers in designing effective strategies to improve quality and manage quantity. This will be achieved through the development of an inventory of contaminants, design of a message communication framework and archaeological analysis of Detroit's water system.
