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INTEGRATED DESIGN PRINCIPLES FOR HOLISTIC SITE WASTEWATER AND STORMWATER MANAGEMENT
Published by the American Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineers, St. Joseph, Michigan www.asabe.org
Citation: Paper number 701P0104, . (doi: 10.13031/2013.15755)Authors: V. A. D’Amato, PE, C. H. House, PhD., S. Liehr, PhD., I. J. Massey, MLA
Keywords: Water reuse, low-impact development, stormwater BMPs, constructed wetlands, multifunctionality, collaboration, integration, integrated water management
No single aspect of site development is more important than that of water management.
Supplying water for human consumption and other uses, and managing stormwater and
wastewater as well as site surface waters and groundwaters are fundamental considerations for
any project. Considering water management from a holistic perspective can allow difficult sites
to be developed in a manner consistent with their capacity, while enhancing the value of more
suitable sites. Successful holistic water management requires the integration of various
disciplines into what is traditionally considered an engineering design process.
In this paper, the evolving development of integrated design principles for holistic site water
management are presented along with policy recommendations to overcome institutional barriers
to their implementation. The fundamental principles of integrated design include: 1)
collaborative design, installation, operation/maintenance, and monitoring; 2) decentralization of
wastewater/stormwater treatment and disposal/reuse; 3) integration of wastewater/stormwater
systems into the landscape and facility design; 4) use of multi-functional wastewater/stormwater
systems; 5) preferred use of natural/passive systems over mechanized systems and design to
mimic natural systems/processes; and 6) water/nutrient conservation and reuse and prioritized
uses of raw and reclaimed water sources based on their respective qualities.
Case studies illustrating these principles are presented, including a wastewater system which
provides courtyard amenities to the office building it serves, and a stormwater system for a lowimpact
residential development which is designed to mimic pre-development hydrology in a
post-development scenario.