CVG/EVG 5301

Soil and Water Conservation

Engineering

WET AND DRY BASINS

Professor Chris Kinsley

Office: A-514
Email: ckinsley@uottawa.ca
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BASINS

C. Kinsley
CVG/EVG 5301
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Learning Objectives
Course Objective 5: Design Wet and Dry Stormwater Basins
• Learning Outcome 1: Understand the different design capture
volumes and calculate the Water Quality Volume.
• Learning Outcome 2: Understand the options and design criteria
for Forebays and Outlet Structures.
• Learning Outcome 3: Understand the advantages,
disadvantages, site suitability and design criteria for Wet Basins.
• Learning Outcome 4: Understand the advantages,
disadvantages, site suitability and design criteria for Dry Basins.

C. Kinsley
CVG/EVG 5301
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Description
Basins are controls that store stormwater, reduce the magnitude of
peak flows, provide water quality treatment mainly by sedimentation,
and discharge stormwater to another stormwater control such as a
filter or to a surface water body.
• The duration of detention varies from a few hours to several days,
depending on the basin type, stormwater control objectives and
unit processes used.
There are three basin types:
• Dry basins
• Wet basins
• Wetlands
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Description
• The design capture volume (Vd) of a basin typically incorporates
the following stacked stormwater control functions:
– Water quality volume (WQV) – lowest portion
– Channel protection volume (CPV) – middle portion
– Peak attenuation volume to achieve overbank flood
protection (OFP) and extreme flood protection (EFP) –
highest portion.
• The portions designed to provide channel protection and/or
pollutant removal are commonly configured to provide detention
(12-48 hrs) for a design event.

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CVG/EVG 5301
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Water Quality Volume (WQV)

Two methods to determine WQV:
1. Cumulative Probability Distributions of runoff producing rainfall
can be determined from cumulative distribution of daily precip. A
90% cumulative probability typically represents a point of
diminishing returns in establishing WQV. A 1 in. (25 mm) event is
defined in some regulations.
➢ This is the recommended method as it is based on site-specific
data.

C. Kinsley
CVG/EVG 5301
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Water Quality Volume (WQV)

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CVG/EVG 5301
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Water Quality Volume (WQV)

2. WQV calculation:

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CVG/EVG 5301
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Water Quality Volume (WQV)

Example: Estimate the WQV for a dry basin in Houston, Texas
serving a 22.3 ha watershed that has 40% of its area covered by
impervious surfaces.

C. Kinsley
CVG/EVG 5301
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Water Quality Volume (WQV)

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CVG/EVG 5301
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Design Principles
1. Sediment Storage
• A sediment storage volume is typically incorporated into the
basin design.
• Forebays should trap 50% of the sediment load. Finer sediment
accumulates near the basin outlet.
2. Basin Geometry
• Where site conditions allow, the basin should gradually expand
at the inlet and contract at the outlet to reduce short-circuiting.
• Energy dissipaters at the inlet, baffles, and a 4:1 L:W ratio help
to reduce short-circuiting.
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Design Principles
3. Physical Site Suitability
• Soils, depth to bedrock and depth to groundwater table should
be evaluated before designing a basin.
– Where bedrock is close to the surface, high excavation costs
may make construction infeasible.
– If bedrock or water table is within 0.6 m of the bottom of a
basin or soils are relatively impermeable, a dry basin may
experience standing water.
– If soils are permeable, a wet basin may drain completely
during dry periods, and may require a liner.

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CVG/EVG 5301
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Forebays
• A forebay is a small basin designed to remove coarse sediment.
Typically designed as 20% of the WQV.
• The inlet design should dissipate flow energy. Examples include: drop
manholes, energy dissipaters at the bottom of a paved rundown, a
lateral bench with wetland vegetation, and the placement of large rock
deflectors.
• The forebay can be separated from the primary basin by: a lateral sill
with wetland vegetation, two basins in series, differential pool depth, a
retaining wall or horizontal rock filter.
• Generally, depths are between 1-2 m, Side slopes 4:1 (3:1 max), flow
velocities less than 1.2 m/s.

Source: www.hydrologystudio.com
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Outlet Structures
• An outlet structure typically consists
of a riser or outlet structure with
either orifices or weirs controlling
various discharge levels.
• The outlet structure is ideally placed
in the berm but can also be in the
basin.
• A trash rack or screen helps
maintain the outlet from clogging.

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CVG/EVG 5301
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Outlet Structures – Reversed Slope Pipe

• A reverse sloped pipe is
appropriate for ponds with
outlet areas ≥ 1 m deep.
• It is recommended that a
gate valve be attached to the
reverse sloped pipe in the
outlet chamber. This valve
will allow the extended
detention drawdown time to
be modified to improve
pollutant removal if the pond
is found to be operating
outside of the design criteria.
Source: Ontario SWM Planning and Design Manual

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CVG/EVG 5301
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Outlet Structures – Perforated Riser

• The riser itself is perforated with holes. Typical hole diameters
range from 12 to 25 mm.
• The flow through the riser is controlled by an orifice plate located at
the bottom of the riser structure. The smallest orifice diameter
which should be used is 50 mm.
• A design which is frequently used in
Ontario incorporates a perforated
riser pipe surrounded by a
corrugated metal pipe standing on its
end. Holes (50 mm diameter) are
drilled in the metal pipe such that it
acts as a protective riser. Stone is
placed around the metal pipe
(minimum 75 mm diameter) to act as
a further filter. Source: Ontario SWM Planning and Design Manual

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CVG/EVG 5301
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Outlet Structures
• Anti-seep collars should be installed along
outlet conduits.
• The discharge channel should be protected
from erosive velocities greater than 1.2 m/s.
Options include rip-rap, stilling basins, check
dams, rock deflectors.
• Emergency spillway must be provided and
designed to protect the basin’s embankment.
– 0.3 m of freeboard during a 25 year- 24 hour
event and to safely pass the 100-year, 24-
hour storm peak rate of runoff.

C. Kinsley
CVG/EVG 5301
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WET BASINS

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CVG/EVG 5301
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Introduction
• A wet basin is an artificial lake or pond designed to promote
sedimentation of particulate matter and other pollutants associated
with particles.
• Wet basins also provide peak attenuation for channel protection and
flood control.
• Volume control may also be provided through infiltration and ET.
• Dissolved pollutants may also be controlled by increasing the
hydraulic residence time (HRT) and incorporating a diverse aquatic
ecosystem within the basin or by chemical addition.

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CVG/EVG 5301
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Introduction

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CVG/EVG 5301
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Physical Site Suitability

• Wet basins are commonly placed at locations able to maintain a
permanent pool of water during part or all of the year:
– Relatively impermeable soils or liner
– Sufficient inflow or high GW
• Permanent pools are preferred in many developments for aesthetic
reasons.
• Unlikely to affect groundwater quality unless in a gravel or karst
formation for most contaminants.
• Require a relatively large footprint but little hydraulic head.

C. Kinsley
CVG/EVG 5301 Source: wsud-denmark.com
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Water Quality Control

• Primary water quality unit process is sedimentation.
• Biological processes include organic matter degradation, nitrification,
denitrification, pathogen die-off.
• Precipitation and sorption of key pollutants occur in the bottom soils
and water column.
– P removal with Fe, Al, Mg
– Dissolved metals with sulfides and organic matter

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CVG/EVG 5301
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Limitations
• A large land area, a significant contributing area for baseflow;
• Effects on wetlands, floodplains;
• Open-water safety hazards or mosquito breeding zones;
• Sediment, floating litter and algae blooms may be difficult to remove
or control;
• Attract wildlife;
• Can cause an increase in temperature by heating the permanent
pool with solar radiation.

C. Kinsley
CVG/EVG 5301
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Design Criteria
• Permanent pool for
sedimentation, removal of
dissolved pollutants;
• Wetland vegetation bench;
• Forebay at inlet to remove
coarse sediments;
• Restricted outlet for WQV

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CVG/EVG 5301
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Design Criteria
Wet Pond Sizing for Solids-Settling
• Basins with a permanent pool volume smaller than the mean runoff
volume lead to significantly higher effluent concentrations of TSS
and other pollutants, but the variability diminishes as the permanent
pool volume approaches 2-3 times the mean runoff volume.
Therefore, 2 design methods:
– Permanent pool 2-3 times the mean runoff volume
– Permanent pool = mean runoff volume + “live pool” to maximize
pollutant removal (smaller pool, no performance data).
• WQV calculation is used to size both the permanent pool and a live
detention pool with the outlet designed to draw down the live volume
in 12 hours.

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CVG/EVG 5301
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Design Criteria
Wet Pond Sizing for Phosphorus
• Assume that P processes in a wet basin can be represented by
empirical models used to evaluate lake eutrophication (Walker
(1985;1987).
• Treats the permanent pool as a completely mixed system and
assumes that it is not necessary to consider the temporal variability
associated with individual storm events. Correlated results from 60
basins (R2=0.8)
• Optimum removal of TP of approximately 50% occurs at HRT values
of 2-3 weeks for pools with mean depths of 1.0-2.0 m. In the Eastern
US, optimum range of HRT values corresponds to permanent pool
volume to mean storm runoff volume ratios of 4 to 6.

C. Kinsley
CVG/EVG 5301
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Design Criteria
Wet Pond Sizing for Phosphorus

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CVG/EVG 5301
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Design Criteria
Depth of Permanent Pool
• Mean depth is calculated by dividing the storage volume by the
surface area. The mean depth should be shallow enough to promote
aerobic conditions and reduce the risk of thermal stratification, but
deep enough so that algal blooms are not excessive and reduce re-
suspension of settled pollutants during significant storm events.
– 2-2.5 m in open water areas to prevent emergent plant growth
– 1-3 m mean depth
– If the basin has more than 0.8 ha of water surface mean depths
of 2 m will protect it against wind-generated resuspension of
sediments.
– >1.8 m required for winter fish survival
– 3-4 m maximum depth to reduce risk of thermal stratification

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CVG/EVG 5301
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Design Criteria
Side Slopes Along Shoreline
• 4:1 or less to facilitate maintenance and for safety
• Littoral zone around perimeter to promote emergent macrophytes
– 3 m wide, 15-30 cm deep
– 25-30% of permanent pool’s water surface area

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CVG/EVG 5301
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Design Criteria
Live Detention Zone
• Storage is released during a specified period through an outlet
structure as previously described.
Drainage Area
• Minimum drainage area should permit sufficient baseflow to maintain
pool elevations (at least 8 ha)
– Water balance using runoff, ET, exfiltration and baseflow data
• Maximum catchment area may need to be set to reduce the
exposure of upstream channels to erosion, reduce effect on
perennial streams and wetlands, and reduce public safety
associated with dam height.
– Some jurisdictions restrict catchments to 40-120 ha, depending
on imperviousness

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CVG/EVG 5301
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Design Criteria
Basin Geometry
• Large length-width ratios help reduce short-circuiting, enhance
sedimentation, and help prevent vertical stratification.
– Min 2:1, preferred 3:1 for the permanent pool
• The permanent pool should expand gradually from the basin inlet
and contract gradually toward the outlet, maximizing the travel time.
Baffles or islands within the pool can increase the flow path length
and reduce short-circuiting. The banks of the basin should have an
undulating outline rather than straight lines.
Soil Hydraulic Conductivity
• High permeable soils may not be acceptable for wet basins because
of high draw-down during dry periods. Compaction, adding clay or
synthetic liner are options.

C. Kinsley
CVG/EVG 5301
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DRY BASINS

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CVG/EVG 5301
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Introduction
• A dry basin temporarily detains all or a portion of stormwater from
each storm event by placing a restricted outlet at the bottom of the
basin. The intent is to discharge all the detained stormwater before the
next storm arrives.
• Dry basins designed to remove pollutants and control erosive
velocities are commonly referred to as extended-detention ponds, with
WQV and Channel Protection Volume (CPV) from frequent small
storms detained and slowly released over 1-2 days.

Source: integraess.com
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Introduction
Dry basins have historically been used where soils are relatively
impermeable and subsurface conditions (rock, HGW) do not extend into
the basin foot-print. However, 30% of annual runoff may infiltrate through
the bottom or be used by vegetation with drain times of 24-48 hrs,
contributing to runoff volume control.
• Advantages:
– Avoidance of mosquito breeding
– Less thermal warming of stormwater or baseflow
– Increased safety
• Disadvantages:
– Require an elevation drop
– May increase space requirements

C. Kinsley
CVG/EVG 5301
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Water Quantity Control

• The main water quantity unit process is peak attenuation. Attenuation
requires storage of a portion of the runoff, calculated as the difference
in volume between the pre- and post-development hydrographs.
• Dry basins designed solely for flood protection (OFV and EFV)
typically are not effective at channel protection and stormwater
pollution control.

C. Kinsley
CVG/EVG 5301
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Water Quality Control

• Dry basins remove pollutants primarily through sedimentation and is
effective if:
1. 48 h drawdown time for WQV;
2. A sediment forebay is provided at each inlet;
3. The basin is configured to minimize short-circuiting;
4. The basin is designed to minimize resuspension of settled
sediments.
• Less effective at TSS removal than wet basins of same volume.
• Ineffective at removing dissolved pollutants.
• What are the limitations of dry basins?

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CVG/EVG 5301
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Design Criteria
WQV
• The detention volume of a dry basin should be sized to capture 80-
90% of the average annual runoff volume and allow a temporary pool
to form in the basin during and after the precip. event (48h) for the
WQV.
Hydrograph Routing
• Storage volume calculations can be further refined through the use of
common software:
– US EPA SWMM, HEC-HMS, SCS TR-55, TR-20, HSPF, STORM

C. Kinsley
CVG/EVG 5301
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Design Criteria
Two-Stage Design
• Whenever possible, two stages should be provided in a dry basin.
The lower stage is placed near the outlet of the basin and fills during
the most frequent storm events, reducing periods of standing water
and sediment deposition in the remainder of the basin.
• The lower stage can be 0.5-1.0 m deep and should include the
sediment storage volume not provided in the forebay plus 15-25% of
the WQV. The top stage should be 0.6-2.0 m deep and large enough
to contain the remainder to the WQV with the bottom sloping 2%
toward a low-flow channel.
• Placing a small wet pool within the lower stage of a dry basin hides
accumulating sediment and minimizes resuspension.

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CVG/EVG 5301
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Design Criteria
Basin Features
• Grassed side slopes, minimum 3H:1V, rock toe;
• Low-flow channel including meanders, not lined with concrete or
asphalt;
• Embankment minimum slope 3H:1V, grassed, compacted to 95% of
max density at optimum moisture, emergency spillway on
embankment (typically 50-100 year storm peak flow);
• Basin vegetation provides erosion control and enhances sediment
entrapment (water-tolerant native grasses or irrigated turf).
Alternative bottom includes: marshy wetland, bog, layer of gravel,
riparian shrub, bare soil, meadow grass-mix.

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CVG/EVG 5301
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Design Criteria
Outlet Structure
• A designer should use one or more outlets, as needed, to achieve the
intended objectives of the dry basin (i.e. slowly releasing WQV and
CPV) over the design emptying time and properly routing extreme
events as necessary to achieve downstream flood-control objectives.
• Single Orifice
– Outlets smaller than 300 mm (12 in.) in dia. are prone to being
clogged.
• Hybrid Dry-Wet Basin Outlet
– A catch basin-type hood or other submerged outlet can prevent
floating materials from clogging the outlet (negatively sloped
pipe).

C. Kinsley
CVG/EVG 5301
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Design Criteria

C. Kinsley
CVG/EVG 5301