Sustainable Engineering Process

Stormwater Best Management Practices (BMPs)

What Is It?

Best Management Practices, BMPs, range from specification and use of porous pavement to more engineered solutions, such as constructed wetlands and detention basins. The intent is to improve the quality of stormwater runoff that reenters the water ecosystem, and reduce flooding.

The EPA has actively studied the two dilemmas of stormwater in the increasingly built environment: increasing quantity and decreasing quality. "the increased volume and rate of runoff from impervious surfaces and the concentration of pollutants in the runoff. Both components are directly related to development in urban and urbanizing areas. Together, these components cause changes in hydrology and water quality that result in a variety of problems, including habitat modification and loss, increased flooding, decreased aquatic biological diversity, and increased sedimentation and erosion. Effective management of stormwater runoff offers a multitude of possible benefits, including protection of wetlands and aquatic ecosystems, improved quality of receiving waterbodies, conservation of water resources, protection of public health, and flood control." Employ stormwater best management practices during operation of a facility (transit, highway, port, or airport) that minimize the environmental impact of stormwater management techniques.