Author(s)

A. Romnée

Abstract

Major conventional and traditional public sanitation networks are out of date and have proven their limits to sustainably manage stormwater. Decentralized approach to stormwater management, whereby best management practices (BMP) are dispersed throughout the site project, has gained popularity in recent years. Stormwater BMPs provide an actual, alternative and more sustainable approach than the conventional practice of routing runoff through pipe systems. The selection of the appropriate stormwater BMP to a site project requires experiences and a fine appreciation of many selection criteria. BMPs may be selected according to a wide range of criteria regarding the land use characteristics, the site characteristics, the catchment characteristics, the quantity and quality performance requirements and the amenity, environmental, community and participation requirements. This paper gives a BMP selection aid tool based on a literature review of many public space projects designed with stormwater BMPs. BMPs are classified according to the land use and their position in the stormwater management train. The classification of BMPs proposed in the tool, and based on actually built project, is then compared to the BMPs selection guidelines found in the literature. It appears that, related to land use criteria for the selection of the appropriate BMP, the implementation of BMPs in developed projects is poorly correlated to the guidelines of the literature.

Keywords

best management practices, land use criteria, literature guidelines, sustainable urban stormwater management