Bioretention Area
As design professionals, many of us feel uneasy about the lack of data documenting stormwater BMPs performance. The data that is available shows a wide range of treatment efficiencies for the same types of BMPs and lacks completeness in documenting how design parameters, maintenance, and other conditions can affect performance. So it’s great to see that the Science Museum of Virginia, in cooperation with Virginia Tech and the City of Richmond, is pursuing several projects to expand the base of stormwater BMP knowledge.
The Science Museum has installed the following:
• two tree box filters
• a bioretention area
• a cistern
• an area of permeable concrete
• vegetated green roof
Tree Box Filter
These systems are equipped with instrumentation, including flow weirs and samplers to collect data. The projects are currently collecting data. If you are in the Richmond area, please visit the Science Museum and see these BMPs. Also, the Science Museum is planning an exhibit on stormwater runoff that should open in the near future.
For further information please contact:
David Sample at Virginia Tech ([email protected])
Eugene Maurakis at the SMV ([email protected]) or
Todd Janeski of DCR ([email protected])
