Stormwater Source Control Design Guidelines 2005 - Waterbucket

Stormwater Source Control Design Guidelines 2005IntroductionThe ProjectThe objective of this project is to reduce information barriersthat stand in the way of effective implementation of stormwatersource controls in the Greater Vancouver Regional District. Itfocuses on the technical details of practices in landscape areasthat treat stormwater through plant materials and soils byinfiltration, retention, detention and evapotranspiration.The Greater Vancouver Regional District (GVRD) providesregional government services to its member municipalities,and is the third largest metropolitan area in Canada. A relatedbody, the Greater Vancouver Sewerage & Drainage District(GVSDD), provides regional utility services. In 1999, theGVSDD produced a Best Management Practices Guide forStormwater, which can be viewed athttp://www.gvrd.bc.ca/sewerage/management_guide.htm.Stormwater - Rainwater‘Stormwater management’ is the term traditionally used –mostly in North America - to refer to managing rainfall runoffusing conventional “storm-based” approaches to sizing anddesigning drainage facilities. Urban design thinking hasevolved, however, to address the entire spectrum of rainfallevents, not just storms, in ways that reflect more natural watersystems. ‘Rainwater management’ – generally used in Europe- more accurately describes this more holistic approach.This document uses the more familiar term ‘stormwater’ withthe intent that it refers to the broader scope of ‘rainwater’management.Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada is aworld-class city framed by the coastalmountains, the estuary of the Fraser River,and the sea.Greater Vancouver Sewerage & Drainage District3