Advances in Modelling Particle Transport in Urban Storm- and Wastewater Systems

Combined sewer overflows: relating event duration monitoring data to wastewater systems' capacity in England

“…80 More importantly, in separate sewer systems, stormwater is often discharged to the environment without treatment, even though it is not exempt of pollution. 129 Stormwater can be polluted with hydrocarbons (PAHs, NOx, Ni, BTEX) from vehicle emissions, heavy metals (Cu, Ni, Zn, Ni, Sb, Pb, Cd) and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) from the wear of brakes, tyres, and vehicle body wear, platinum group elements (Rh, Pd, Pt) from catalytic converters, microplastics from road littering, fertilisers and suspended solids from gardening activities, biocides, or detergents used in cleaning, bird and animal faeces and spills. [130][131][132][133] In practice the risks to the environment remain significant, every so often exacerbated by unintentional or illegal wastewater connections to stormwater drainage systems (in most cases only detected by the severe foul stench that accompanies them), contributing significant pollutant loadings to receiving waters.…”