Characteristic Rain Events: A Methodology for Improving the Amenity Value of Stormwater Control Measures

Local management of rainwater using stormwater control measures (SCMs) is gaining increased attention as a sustainable alternative and supplement to traditional sewer systems. Besides offering added utility values, many SCMs also offer a great potential for added amenity values. One way of achieving...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Sustainability 2017-10, Vol.9 (10), p.1793
Main Authors: Smit Andersen, Jonas, Lerer, Sara, Backhaus, Antje, Bergen Jensen, Marina, Danielsen Sørup, Hjalte
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Case studies
Hydrologic models
Hydrology
Landscape architecture
Methodology
Rain
Rain water
Sewer systems
Statistical methods
Storm sewers
Stormwater
Sustainability
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Summary:Local management of rainwater using stormwater control measures (SCMs) is gaining increased attention as a sustainable alternative and supplement to traditional sewer systems. Besides offering added utility values, many SCMs also offer a great potential for added amenity values. One way of achieving amenity value is to stage the rainwater and thus bring it to the attention of the public. We present here a methodology for creating a selection of rain events that can help bridge between engineering and landscape architecture when dealing with staging of rainwater. The methodology uses quantitative and statistical methods to select Characteristic Rain Events (CREs) for a range of frequent return periods: weekly, bi-weekly, monthly, bi-monthly, and a single rarer event occurring only every 1-10 years. The methodology for selecting CREs is flexible and can be adjusted to any climatic settings; here we show its use for Danish conditions. We illustrate with a case study how CREs can be used in combination with a simple hydrological model to visualize where, how deep and for how long water is visible in a landscape designed to manage rainwater.
ISSN:2071-1050
2071-1050
DOI:10.3390/su9101793