Author Archive: seitecinc

rooftop rainwater harvesting

Stormwater Storage: The Legit Reasons Why It’s Important?

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Stormwater storage and use stand out as an incredible sustainable move, taking ahead of the concept of ‘reuse’ and the unique practice of stormwater collection. Today, stormwater storage is emphasized because it is good for your safety and overall. In this blog, we will take you through every critical detail about stormwater/rooftop rainwater harvesting:

What is a stormwater storage system?

Stormwater hails directly from any precipitation falling from the sky like rain, sleet, or melting snow and can be effectively stored with effective stormwater management. 

As more developmental projects are carried forward, the changes in the natural patterns and rates of runoff Mother Nature surface. The construction of new buildings, the creation of parking lots, and mapping of roadways, however, can lay a great effect on the volume and velocity of natural runoff, laying forth the significant need of the hour to properly convey the stormwater safely to its final destination, that is usually its designated body of water.

Why does stormwater storage matter?

In the modern era laying an onus of focus upon the construction of roads, buildings, and other structures, the natural infiltration of runoff is interrupted, thereby causing increased rates of runoff and localized flooding. Apart from this, the increased levels of the impervious surface area give rise to the pollution to streams, rivers, and creeks. Decreased infiltration and increased runoff forward the need for stormwater management, including a rainwater harvesting system, which greatly benefits people in terms of (health, welfare, and safety) and the environment (health, function, and sustainability).

When talking about traditional stormwater management, the process usually includes detention ponds that dotted our communities. These ponds detain stormwater runoff, holding it and then slowly releasing it to the nearest water body over time. While this does stand out as an effective plan to manage stormwater, it often accompanies its shortcomings. Traditional ponds were not sized to cater to what is been considered a minimum “water quality” storm event. 

Three main components that are considered in contemporary stormwater management design include:

  1. Best-in-class treatment of water quality
  2. Control of excess runoff volume and velocity
  3. Groundwater infiltration

Controlling the volume and velocity of stormwater helps people to center attention on important functions, including flood risk management and storm damage prevention. Furthermore, groundwater recharge is seen as a crucial step of stormwater management. It helps keep up the base flow in nearby located streams and wetlands, fulfilling drinking water supplies and minimizing the overall volume of runoff that effectively reduces or eliminates erosion.

Perhaps one of the most important factors to consider in stormwater management is reducing pollution and supporting clean water quality. This initiative supports both ecosystem and community health, function, and resiliency. Runoff can be from bacteria and organic matter, from trash and animal waste, oil, and grease ranging from leaky cars on the roads to toxic chemicals, including pesticides. Most of these pollutants come along with nitrogen, phosphorous, and sediment, which in small amounts are essential to aquatic systems but in more significant amounts are detrimental to the health and function. These pollutants pose harmful effects on the environment as they are carried forward by rivers, streams, and creeks, and they get into larger bodies of water as well.

The Bottom Line

In order to achieve holistic development, we must take our first steps to care for our environment. The moment we start putting consistent efforts to protect our water resources and ecosystems with effective stormwater management, we are sure to reap maximum returns on our investment. 

What Is Stormwater Management, and How Is It Beneficial?

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stormwater retention system

Stormwater management is an effort that aims at reducing the channeling of the melted snow and rainwater from the streets, urban areas, lawns, and homes to improve the water quality. Moreover, this simple effort can even help reverse the harmful effects of stormwater flooding in urban and rural areas. 

The stormwater comes from the melting snow or the rain that generally penetrates and then evaporates. In places like forests, the soil absorbs the water, and plants hold a significant amount of water, leading to low runoffs ensuring that the water is drained in the underground and the rivers slowly. On the other hand, there are few plants in the urban areas, and the pavements are built in such a way that does not allow proper absorption of water in the ground. 

The result of the mentioned drawback led to the increase in the runoffs. And this is when the stormwater retention system came into the limelight and helped reduce the rainwater levels in urban areas to regulate water quality by preventing the chemicals, heavy metals, bacteria from draining into lakes, rivers, and wetlands. 

Moreover, there are professionals like WaterSilo who offer solutions for rainwater and stormwater management with the help of professionals. But, before one picks this service, it is essential to understand the significance of this specific management. 

Benefits of the Storm Management System

People who are curious to understand the benefits of stormwater management can check the list of information that would help them understand the concept of this technology and how it is beneficial for the environment. 

1) Helps to maintain the natural hydrologic cycle

For those unaware, storm management plays a significant role in regulating healthy lakes, rivers, and aquatic life and supports human uses by controlling the natural hydrologic cycle. 

The lack of proper stormwater management can decrease the infiltration and reduce the groundwater recharge and soil replenishment. It is essential to notice that soil moisture is vital for maintaining adequate vegetation. Moreover, this simple management solution can restore the underground water, ensuring the future generations have enough water for agricultural and domestic needs. 

2) Regulates water quality

It helps in regulating the water quality. Impurities like metals, plastic, oil, and grease generally build on the surfaces, and if they are not managed in time, these impurities are carried to water sources. 

As the pollution levels are high in the urban areas and impurities can easily make their way to the water sources, stormwater technology can help eliminate the impurities before the water is drained in the streams. 

3) Reduces the risk of floods

With the help of stormwater management, one can easily keep flooding in check. It is said that the areas that use this particular technology are at a low level of flood risks.

4) Helps in preventing soil erosion

In the case of agricultural lands, the stormwater can affect productivity as it washes away the rich soil cover. Moreover, it even washes away the manure from the plants, thereby reducing the farms’ output. And if the proper stormwater retention system is not utilized, then there are chances of soil erosion leading to an increase in the production cost. 

5) Prevents stream erosions

By regulating the amount and speed of the water running into the streams can help prevent excessive erosion. If not managed in time, there are higher chances of stream erosion that hamper the function of the stream. 

Further, if there is no proper stormwater management, it can affect the communities and livelihoods by spilling the water into the surroundings, eventually destroying the crop. Apart from that, it can even decline animal and plant diversity. 

Conclusion 

With stormwater technology playing an essential role in maintaining the ecological balance, one must consider the use of this technology. Moreover, those unaware of the installation procedures and other related services can reach out to professionals like WaterSilo and try seeking complete details on the same. 

Stormwater Retention Tanks

Importance Of Stormwater Retention Tanks For Your Home, Facility, or Premises

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According to the EPA (the United States Environmental Protection Agency), stormwater retention or management is an attempt to lessen and channel stormwater runoff or melted snow from urban regions, streets, yards, and properties for improving water quality. In some words, stormwater retention tanks or systems aids reverse the adverse effects of urban and rural stormwater flooding produced by farming and human activities, namely infrastructural construction. 

Stormwater is the water that originates from rain or melting snow & ice. The stormwater is supposed to creep into the ground or evaporate in a natural state. For example, in natural habitats like forests, the soil ingests considerable stormwater & plants help hold significant amounts, ensuring minimal runs off. Moreover, plants, grass, leaves, roots, and stems, amid different components within the forest, regulate the runoff, assuring that the water flows to the rivers or underground gradually. 

However, trees are fewer in urban areas, and the sidewalks and surfaces are built to enable little or no water to infiltrate the ground. The outcome of this is raised surface runoff, and this is where stormwater retention becomes handy. The storm retention systems or tanks can reduce rainwater runoff or melted snow on the roads, lawns, and various urban areas to enhance water quality. Retention tanks or systems prevent bad bacteria, compounds, heavy minerals, eroded soil, and bacteria from infiltrating wetlands, rivers, estuaries, streams, lakes, ponds, or oceans.

The Importance of Stormwater Retention System For Every Urban Property

Regulate The Natural Water Cycle

Stormwater retention plays a significant role in keeping healthy streams, lakes, and aquatic life and encourages human applications by regulating the natural water cycle. Without decent stormwater retention, infiltration can reduce, reducing soil replenishment and groundwater recharge. It is worth noting that moisture in the soil is imperative to sustain vegetation, and the basis it holds a role in maintaining the natural water cycle.

Besides, the loss of groundwater recharge decreases the movement of baseflow between storms, which sustains aquatic life. Stormwater management also replenishes marine water, ensuring that humans get a sufficient amount of water for domestic and agricultural prospects.

Prevent A Risen Risk Of Property Flooding

Effective stormwater systems help to keep flooding within the property in check. Property owners who embrace stormwater retention tanks have a low risk of flooding and, thus, are least likely to experience the inimical effects of flooding within their properties. Urban areas and several areas with no or less vegetation are destined to experience floods upon heavy storms unless adequate management retention techniques are used.

In these regions, intensity storms strengthen precipitation runoff, and retention systems hasten the runoff to streams. Besides, flooding is more prone to cause loss of life and property destruction in properties without the right stormwater retention solutions.

Prevent Unwanted Water Erosion

By diminishing the water running speed and amount flowing to the streams, stormwater retention tanks help prevent unnecessary erosion. If stormwater is not controlled, it can provoke extreme erosion, obstructing the water from performing its normal conveying water and sediment.

As well, stormwater can affect streams and rivers flood without stormwater retention, affecting your neighboring communities’ livelihoods. A flooded property causes the excess water to spill to the connecting properties destroying their infrastructure. 

Preserve Water Quality

Stormwater management impersonates a significant role in ensuring water quality. Contaminants, namely grease, oil, pesticides, metals, plastic, and pesticides from yards and everyday use, tend to strengthen upon surfaces. If stormwater is not controlled, it can take the contaminants of the property to water reservoirs like streams, lakes, oceans, and even groundwater.

The pollution is soaring in urban regions where asphalt deterioration, tire & brake pad wear, emissions & spills from vehicles can readily find their way out to various water sources. With stormwater retention tanks at properties, residential or commercial, you may eliminate some of these pollutants before the water flows into the streams.

Limit Soil Erosion

In agricultural estates, stormwater can influence the fertility of the land by washing off the rich elements from the soil cover. It can also carry fertilizer from plants to topsoil, diminishing the fertility of farms. If not adequately maintained, stormwater runoff, primarily in sloppy areas, can cause agricultural land unfit for cultivation through soil erosion. It can also shove the production cost as farmers attempt to generate a relevant environment for cultivation.

In Conclusion!

Water tanks are utilized to collect water harvested from rooftops (rainwater) and hard surfaces on your property. What makes them stormwater “retention” tanks is that the water collected is retained to be utilized for one purpose or another, rather than allowed to drain. Hence, investing in a water tank makes good sense, regardless of the area you live in. If you have made up your mind to get yourself one, contact WaterSilo. We would be happy to assist you!