Bioretention Cells
As residential communities, commercial, and industrial sites continue to develop, more and more land is converted into impermeable surface such as driveways, parking lots, offices, roads, paved walkways, stores, and strip malls. These impermeable surfaces dramatically alter the stormwater quantity and quality that runs off from these developed sites. Instead of infiltrating into the ground, water from these areas runs off into nearby water systems, delivering pollutants and contaminants directly into these ecosystems. In fact, this source of contaminants is one of the largest pollution sources for lakes, estuaries, and other water systems. In addition, an increase in surface runoff results in larger volumes of water entering waterways, increasing peak flows of streams, and in turn, increasing flooding and erosion.
Because these land development sites have large areas of impervious surfaces, they are ideal places for a bioretention stormwater management system. Common applications for bioretention areas include green spaces, parking lot islands, median strips, and traffic islands. A bioretention area is often a feasible retrofit that can be accomplished by replacing existing parking lot islands or by reconfiguring a parking lot during resurfacing.
Bioretention Cell Stormwater Management
IMPORTANCE AND BENEFITS OF BIORETENTION STORMWATER MANAGEMENT
Bioretention systems are used to target the removal of a wide range of pollutants, such as sediment, metals, hydrocarbons, and floatable litter, from stormwater runoff. They capture, filter, and treat runoff to remove contaminants before they enter natural water systems such as creeks and streams. A bioretention area can also reduce peak runoff rates, increase stormwater infiltration, or groundwater recharge, and manage water volumes during and after storm events.
Bioretention systems provide water protection, water conservation, and stormwater quality benefits. Some of the benefits of a bioretention system management include:
- Efficient and effective pollutant removal through infiltration, plant absorption, and often using engineered media
- Reduction of runoff and stormwater volume control from the developed site
- Can provide groundwater recharge
- Reduced irrigation for planting beds
- Utilization of native forest ecosystem structure and landscape processes to increase water quality and biodiversity
- Creates natural habitats for native wildlife
- Flexibility in design layout and scale, which allows it to fit in most landscapes and development sites
- Good option for retrofit of existing infrastructure
- Relatively low maintenance
- Adds aesthetic appeal to the sites
AQUALIS PROVIDES BIORETENTION STORMWATER MANAGEMENT SOLUTIONS
AQUALIS specializes in the design, maintenance, and long-term management of an effective bioretention area that balances stormwater management and biological functions to help maintain the ecological integrity of our water resources. Our goal is to design, implement, and maintain bioretention systems that effectively filter pollutants out and slow stormwater runoff, reduce and improve runoff quality in a natural, aesthetically pleasing manner. Not only do our stormwater management systems ensure full compliance with all regulatory guidelines, they reduce environmental impact while achieving optimal functionality, performance, and maintainability.
We can assist with the development, implementation, and maintenance of your bioretention stormwater management solution for residential, commercial, industrial, municipal, and governmental sites. Before we develop a bioretention stormwater management plan, an AQUALIS consultant will perform an initial site assessment to determine your stormwater management needs. Based on the information collected from this visit and our best practices, we will develop a plan that fits your unique site needs.
We implement low impact bioretention stormwater systems as close to the source as possible before polluted stormwater can contaminate natural water sources. We construct bioretention systems designed to mimic pollutant removal mechanisms within natural ecosystems that slow and treat stormwater runoff. Each bioretention area consists of multiple layers of removal mechanisms, each with a designated role, that intercepts water running off your parking lot by slowing it down and catching the various pollutants it has brought along with it. Mechanisms such as a sand bed or engineered media for filtration, uptake by native and non-invasive vegetation, a shallow ponding area, and mulch will help filter the pollutants out and allow the water to be evenly distributed into the surrounding soil.
We develop, construct, and manage bioretention areas in a timely manner and will also manage your stormwater inspection program to ensure that your construction project is always in compliance. Once construction is complete, an AQUALIS representative will conduct training to help you understand how to properly maintain a bioretention area to ensure that future storm water samples are collected, reporting is conducted, and other documentation is done correctly.
LET AQUALIS MANAGE YOUR BIORETENTION SYSTEMS
As a bioretention maintenance company, AQUALIS provides system maintenance to help you properly maintain a bioretention area. We inspect pretreatment devices, infiltration systems, and bioretention areas regularly to help you continuously implement an effective stormwater program. Our services include erosion, sediment build-up, and structural damage inspections, trash removal, weeding, plant and tree trimming, mulch replacement, soil aeration, and plant replacement when necessary. Using our certified stormwater best management practices inspection, our specialized maintenance professional will manage and submit all the necessary inspections and required annual reports for you.
AQUALIS Stormwater Management is a nationwide leading provider of post-construction stormwater management services to residential, commercial, industrial, municipal, and governmental industries through stormwater consulting, inspection, maintenance, vactor, jetting, and repair services. Contact us to help you properly plan, develop, install, and maintain your bioretention areas.
