Infrastructure Engineering - Research Publications

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Start date: 2020 × Author: Western, Andrew × Author: Arora, Meenakshi ×

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    The influence of spatial arrangement and site conditions on the fate of infiltrated stormwater
    Poozan, A ; Fletcher, TD ; Arora, M ; William Western, A ; James Burns, M (Elsevier BV, 2024-02-01)
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    Quantifying the impact of the urban karst on infiltrated stormwater
    Poozan, A ; Burns, MJ ; Arora, M ; Western, AW (IWA Publishing, 2023-06-01)
    Urbanization alters the flow regime of streams, including increasing the frequency and magnitude of storm flows, along with reducing baseflows. An increasingly common management strategy is stormwater infiltration, which is thought to reduce surface runoff and recharge groundwater and thus restore lost baseflows to streams. Recent research has pointed to considerable uncertainty on the fate of infiltrated stormwater, particularly due to the presence of human-made underground infrastructure – e.g. sewer and water supply pipes and telecommunication cables. Such infrastructure is commonly housed in trenches partially filled with highly permeable material which can cause urban karst like flow conditions. We used a dynamic subsurface flow model (HYDRUS-3D) to predict the impact of the urban karst on the fate of infiltrated stormwater. The model was constructed with the presence of a sewer pipe situated between an infiltration basin and a stream. The model predicted that the impact of the urban karst on infiltrated stormwater increases with higher groundwater levels, and greater contrast between hydraulic conductivity of regional soil and gravel which surrounds the sewer pipe. Results suggest that it is important to consider the impact of the urban karst in cases where the goal of stormwater infiltration is baseflow restoration.
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    The influence of stormwater infiltration on downslope groundwater chemistry
    Arora, M ; Fletcher, TD ; Burns, MJ ; Western, AW ; Yong, CF ; Poelsma, PJ ; James, RB (SPRINGER, 2023-11)
    Stormwater infiltration basins have been used extensively around the world to restore urban hydrology towards more natural flow and water quality regimes. There is, however, significant uncertainty in the fate of infiltrated water and accompanying contaminants that depends on multiple factors including media characteristics, interactions with downslope vegetation, legacy contaminants, and presence of underground infrastructure. Understanding the influence of such factors is thus central to the design and siting of infiltration basins. An extensive field program was established to collect monthly data on ground water quality, including nutrients and major ion concentrations, in a bore network downstream of a stormwater infiltration basin in Victoria, Australia. The groundwater samples were analysed for temperature, pH, EC, turbidity, major ions (Na+, Ca2+, K+, Mg2+, Cl-, SO42-, NO3-, CO32-, HCO3-), NOx and heavy metals. The collected data were used to understand the origin and fate of water and solutes in the subsurface and their interactions with the soil matrix. The results revealed that Ca-HCO3, Na-Cl water types predominate in the study area, grouped in 3 clusters; shallow fresh groundwater in the vicinity of the basin (near basin), deep saline groundwater further downstream of the basin (near-stream) and a mid-section where rock-water interaction (Na-HCO3 water) through cation exchange control the chemistry of groundwater. The results also suggest that as the water moves downstream of the basin, it experiences significant evapotranspiration and concentration due to the presence of deep-rooted vegetation. The results suggest that while infiltration basins can remove infiltrated contaminants, the infiltrated stormwater can mobilise legacy contaminants such as nitrate. Overall, the efficacy of infiltration basins in urban regions depends substantially on the downstream vegetation, urban underground infrastructure and the presence of legacy contaminants in the soils. These all need to be considered in the design of stormwater infiltration basins.
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    Modelling the interaction between vegetation and infiltrated stormwater
    Poozan, A ; William Western, A ; James Burns, M ; Arora, M (Elsevier, 2022-04-01)
    A major problem associated with sealing native soils with impervious surfaces in urban areas is reduced groundwater recharge. This in turn reduces stream baseflows which has serious implications for freshwater ecosystems. To address this problem, the use of stormwater infiltration systems is becoming increasingly common worldwide. There is, however, substantial uncertainty on the fate of infiltrated stormwater and its interactions with downslope vegetation. This study aimed to investigate the role of vegetation on the amount of infiltrated stormwater reaching the stream. A model using MIKE SHE was constructed, calibrated, and validated based on a real infiltration system which features extensive vegetation between the site of stormwater infiltration and the stream. We then used the calibrated model to predict the amount of infiltrated stormwater reaching the stream in the absence of vegetation. We also predicted the impact of infiltrated stormwater on the evapotranspiration downslope of the system. The results showed that the performance of the model was satisfactory, and the model captured the overall groundwater dynamic very well. The amount of infiltrated stormwater reaching the stream increased by about 17 percent in the absence of vegetation. The model also predicted that evapotranspiration would be 13 percent lower in the warmer months if stormwater was not infiltrated upslope. The results suggest that the choice of location of infiltration systems should consider the potential of vegetation to intercept infiltrated water and impact on achievement of the design objectives, which, in this case, included restoring baseflow. Where increasing the baseflows is not a priority, the increased evapotranspiration afforded by stormwater infiltration could provide important microclimate benefits.
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    Impacts of stormwater infiltration on downslope soil moisture and tree water use
    Western, AW ; Arora, M ; Burns, MJ ; Bonneau, J ; Thom, JK ; Yong, CF ; James, RB ; Poelsma, PJ ; Fletcher, TD (IOP Publishing Ltd, 2021-10)
    Abstract Infiltration of stormwater is a widely used strategy to mitigate the flooding and environmental risks that come from urban runoff and conventional urban drainage. An understanding of the fate of this infiltrated water is required for rigorous design. Principal design objectives are typically to restore more natural hydrology in order to protect receiving waters from pollution and hydrologic change. Without such understanding there is also a risk of unforeseen impacts on nearby infrastructure and urban vegetation. We sought to understand the pathways and fate of water from a stormwater infiltration basin. To trace water, we used a combination of water table monitoring and isotopic composition analysis in the infiltration basin, as well as in rainfall, soil water, the shallow groundwater, and in vegetation upslope and downslope of the basin. We also measured tree water use directly using sap flow sensors. The infiltration basin was shown to increase the availability of water downslope, allowing trees to maintain elevated levels of water use during dry periods with high energy demand. In contrast, water limitation upslope saw substantial seasonal reductions in tree water use. The soil water isotopic composition demonstrated significant differences from upslope to downslope, with downslope water being more reflective of rainfall, while the upslope water used by the trees was more depleted. The results paint a picture of stormwater infiltration being a significant source of lateral flow, while trees are a significant sink of lateral flow emanating from the basin. This finding suggests that stormwater infiltration could be used as a strategy to support the health and growth of urban trees. Urban trees have demonstrated benefits for human health and comfort, particularly in a warming climate. It also suggests that stormwater infiltration may not always recharge groundwater and provide baseflow in receiving waters, being instead taken up by vegetation. These findings should be considered in the siting of stormwater infiltration systems, to ensure that the objectives they were designed for are actually met.