Revisiting the Very Last Straw

As we look back on 2017, we’ve certainly had an interesting year.  Before we close the books on 2017, let’s revisit Stormwater’s  top posts for the year.

This blog post received several comments in 2017.

Many cities and some states have banned single-use plastic shopping bags. The next item on the list? It could be the plastic drinking straw.

Cities and states that have banned plastic bags have done so for several reasons—they’re not biodegradable; they contribute to landfill waste—but one of the most-cited has been that so many of them end up in waterways. Plastics in the ocean are a serious problem, harming marine life and possibly working their way up the food chain, and they don’t really go away; they just break down into smaller pieces that are more likely to be ingested by fish and birds.

Click here to read: The Very Last Straw

Two more of most read and shared stories from Stormwater  were:

Taking Stormwater Storage Underground

Space-saving options for detention

Underground retention and detention systems continue to increase in popularity as urban and suburban infill prompts careful consideration of proposed land uses on high-value real estate. Placing stormwater management underground frees up space for higher value land uses and greater return on investment. Additionally, trends toward water awareness and reclamation, particularly in drier regions where regulations demand sustainability, have further encouraged implementation of underground systems.

 Click here to continue reading: Taking Stormwater Storage Underground

Temporary Diversion Sizing When Working in Waterways

Temporary diversion methods are commonly used to reroute water from a stream or direct flows to a designated portion of the stream channel to allow for construction activities to take place in the stream, along the banks, or beneath the active channel. Temporary diversion methods are often required during the construction of detention ponds, dams, instream grade control structures, bank protection, utility installation, and other activities, including maintenance, that require working in waterways. Temporary diversion methods include temporary diversion channels, pump diversions (water is collected and pumped around the construction activities), piped diversions that operate via gravity, coffer dams, and other similar practices. The primary purpose of all temporary diversion methods is to allow for construction to occur in “dry” or dewatered conditions, providing conveyance of stream discharges and protecting water quality by passing upstream flows, up to a specified design event or threshold, around the active construction zone. Click here to continue reading: Temporary Diversion Sizing When Working in Waterways

2017 has been exciting; Stormwater BMPs continue to evolve and we will be sure to keep our finger on the pulse of the industry.