Design Optimization of Low Impact Development Technologies for Long-Term Resilience and Stormwater Management

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Water has always been, and will continue to be, a critical and cherished part of our society and integral part of our urban infrastructure. Today, designers must ensure that engineered stormwater systems adhere to quantity, quality, water balance and erosion criteria while simultaneously ensuring that designs are economically-feasible and socially-acceptable. Given the expansive, and sometimes conflicting design objectives of stormwater infrastructure, naturalized solutions are often the best available approach for stormwater management (SWM). The preferred term for stormwater infrastructure that minimizes the negative environmental effects of urbanization by emulating the natural water balance and providing distributed treatment and quantity control is Low Impact Development (LID). LID technologies that are currently being adopted in Canada include: permeable pavements, bioretention cells, infiltration trenches, swales, green roofs, and oil-and-grit separators which act in combination with traditional stormwater systems. Each of these technologies has the potential ability to reduce many of the negative environmental impacts associated with traditional stormwater conveyance and stand-alone end-of-pipe systems. Lot-level LID technologies can function together as treatment-trains to optimize performance and provide non-point catchment-level SWM. However, many of the concerns identified with the management of traditional stormwater systems, issues such as climate change, population growth and spiralling maintenance and operational costs also threaten the long-term effectiveness and affordability of LID technologies. The proposed research program will optimize identified design components of LID systems including engineered media, drainage and outlet design and storage capacity, that are critical for maximizing the long-term resilience and performance within a treatment-train approach to SWM in cold weather urban catchments through analytical modelling and study of full-scale systems. The objective of this work will be to advance the design of LID technologies in the context of Canadian climates, geology and population growth. The proposed research program will develop the next-generation of SWM technologies and policies while empowering decision makers and the Canadian public to take a proactive approach towards long-term SWM policy. Lastly, this research will provide an unique training opportunity for graduate and undergraduate students at the University of Toronto to gain the skills needed to work as highly skilled water resources engineers. The proposed research program is comprised of three interrelated research focus areas, with each area comprised of specific projects to be undertaken by undergraduate and graduate students as part of their training as highly qualified personnel (HQP). Students will also gain specialized skills in methods for environmental monitoring, hydrologic modelling, data synthesis, project management and communication. The three focus area of the proposed research program are: 1) Catchment-level processes of integrated LID technologies and issues of scale in the treatment-train approach to SWM, 2) Long-term and cold-weather performance, resilience and operation of LID including maintenance and associated costs, and 3) Modelling and predicting performance. The findings of the research will enable private and public entities involved with SWM to develop innovative new technological and policy-based initiatives related to planning, manufacturing, construction, and operation of stormwater systems. The intention of this research is to ensure that stormwater is managed sustainably and LID systems are designed to maximize hydrologic and hydraulic performance and improve overall infrastructure resilience