Groundwater Contamination Potential from Infiltration of Urban Stormwater Runoff

Abstract

Infiltration of urban stormwater runoff is becoming more common in many areas of the United States and throughout the world. For infiltration to be successful as a stormwater management strategy, however, it is imperative that suitable sites be identified and their lifespan and maintenance requirements be predicted. Infiltrating in unsuitable areas can result in groundwater contamination and associated impairment of beneficial uses. This paper reviews several categories of urban stormwater pollutants and their groundwater contamination potential. Case studies, both from the field and the laboratory, then are presented to summarize information regarding the potential factors affecting pollutant transport through the vadose zone. Finally, two levels of prediction models to assess the susceptibility of groundwater contamination from urban stormwater infiltration are presented.

Analysis of Potential Risks Associated with Urban Stormwater Quality for Managed Aquifer Recharge

“…The other ions, such as copper and lead, have lower rates of migration, leading to accumulation in the first 0 to 0.6 m. For nutrients, phosphorus is less mobile than nitrates in the vadose zine and is effectively removed through ion exchange. The results above coincide with previous studies [87]—the longer the migration time, the lower the contamination risk. Thus, using a five-year migration time through a 1 m sand column, the chemical ions can be divided into four according to the contamination risk (Table 11).…”