Assessment of Stormwater Retention Basin Water Quality in Winnipeg, Canada

The water quality behaviour of 58 stormwater retention basins in Winnipeg, Canada, was intensively studied during a 5-month summer period (May to September). Dissolved oxygen (DO), temperature, turbidity, transparency and depth were measured onsite. Samples analyzed in the laboratory included: total...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Water quality research journal of Canada 2003-01, Vol.38 (3), p.433-450
Main Authors: Wakelin, S C, Elefsiniotis, P, Wareham, D G
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Bacteria
Biomass
Canada, Winnipeg
Degradation
Dissolution
Freshwater
Migration
Oxygen
Retention basins
Stormwater
Water management
Water quality
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Summary:The water quality behaviour of 58 stormwater retention basins in Winnipeg, Canada, was intensively studied during a 5-month summer period (May to September). Dissolved oxygen (DO), temperature, turbidity, transparency and depth were measured onsite. Samples analyzed in the laboratory included: total suspended solids (TSS), pH, chlorophyll a, fecal coliforms (FC), total kjeldahl nitrogen (TKN), ammonia, nitrate, total phosphorus (TP) and orthophosphate. Results showed that increases in TSS and turbidity resulted from increased chlorophyll a concentrations associated with algal growth. TKN increases were partly the result of nitrogen incorporation into proteinaceous material in the algal cells. Ammonia concentrations showed a maximum attributed to chemoheterotrophic degradation of dead biomass. Orthophosphate made up 30% to 50% of the total phosphorus present and the two followed the same general trends. Temperature increased and then decreased over the summer months with no apparent thermal stratification. After starting the summer with no dissolved oxygen gradient between top and bottom, depletion of the dissolved oxygen at the bottom of the basins during the latter half of the summer was attributed to chemoheterotrophic degradation of dead biomass. Finally, substantial counts of fecal coliform bacteria occurred in the basins in response to Canada geese migration.
ISSN:1201-3080
2408-9443
DOI:10.2166/wqrj.2003.028