Bioswale final deliverable - Essay Example

This issue combined with the excessive rain washes contaminants from cars that drive through these areas polluting the water that remains stuck for long periods of time in these ditches.Onesolution for this problem is the construction of a Bioswale as seen in Figure 1, which is designed to remove silt and pollution from surface and runoff water by acting as a natural bio-filter. The construction of a Bioswale would also help prevent mosquito nesting and would reduce the types of fumigation toxics which are sprayed in these areas to keep the mosquito population down.

We will work closely with our community partner, ERAUFacility Management, in the designing and implementation of the Bioswale. Stormwater, parking lot, rooftop and residential water runoff can cause significant pollution in various cities and residential areas. Undeveloped areas provide a means of controlling surface runoff, but when rain falls on developed areas, infiltration and absorption of water is diminished. In most developed urban areas, the stormwater carries a lot of trash, heavy metals, bacteria and other pollutants generated in urban centers, hence degrading the quality of water in the receiving water bodies.

Harmel et al 8 (715) “Water is drained through the collection systems that convey the surface run off to water bodies like the rivers and lakes” . Additionally, high flows are dangerous to buildings, animals, and human beings. It can cause erosion and floods that damage properties, infrastructure, and habitats. Green infrastructure such as bioswales, permeable pavements, it has been emphasized in Booth et al 3(p 315), that planter boxes and rain gardens can be used to manage storm water and create healthier environments in urban centers” Booth et al 3 (315).

“Bioswales are vegetated, mulched linear ditches designed to control stormwater through infiltration, conveyance, and filtration” (Jurries 8). They are intended to enhance the function of conveying systems by