Statistical Approach to the Problem of Selecting the Most Appropriate Model for Managing Stormwater in Newly Designed Multi-Family Housing Estates

Abstract

Stormwater is a valuable resource, whose management in harmony with nature is one of the main challenges of modern water management. The problems encountered are additionally exacerbated by the lack of space for the development of sustainable drainage systems. For that reason, new housing estates should be designed considering efficient stormwater management. This paper assesses five stormwater management models to determine the statistically most appropriate model for managing stormwater in newly designed multi-family housing estates using multi-criteria analysis. Various options were assessed by means of the scoring method based on six groups of criteria (political, economic, social, technological, legal, and environmental). The research considered the different views and priorities of the experts involved in stormwater management in Poland. A survey conducted among them showed that the statistically most suitable way of managing stormwater is its infiltration into the ground with the use of infiltration basins or tanks. Only if the possibility of their application is excluded, should the application of other models of stormwater management, especially its retention, be considered. It is expected that the research results presented in this paper will be a guide for investors and developers, and their use will allow people who are not experts in the field of stormwater management to make appropriate decisions.

Investigation of Microbiological Quality Changes of Roof-Harvested Rainwater Stored in the Tanks

“…The conducted research seems reasonable also due to the increasingly common solutions related to the use of rainwater in the newly-reign single-family housing estates [68,69]. There is usually proposed for rainwater storage in closed underground tanks mainly due to limited space and aesthetic considerations.…”

An innovative rainwater system as an effective alternative for cubature retention facilities

“…Additionally, an extreme weather phenomenon such as heavy rains have been observed more frequently recently [13,32,35]. These cause a number of negative effects, for example hydraulic overloading of the rainwater system and treatment plants, local flooding, overload and pollution of the rainwater receiver [15,29]. As a result, an increasing part of the costs is spent on repairing the consequences of flood.…”

“…The purpose of rainwater management is to provide an effective way to manage excess rainwater based on principles of sustainable development and with the least possible interference with the environment [9,15,16].…”

“…According to hydrological forecasts, the frequency of extreme precipitation will increase in the coming years [20,31,32]. These phenomena cause an increase of rainwater surface runoff, which negatively affects not only sewerage systems, but also water receivers [15,33]. A lack of a sufficient hydraulic reserve in the existing sewage system makes increasingly local flooding and overflow rainwater from the sewerage system on the land surfaces [9,4,12,13,14].…”

Financial and Social Factors Influencing the Use of Unconventional Water Systems in Single-Family Houses in Eight European Countries

“…Rainwater is increasingly being perceived as a valuable resource rather than waste that should be disposed of as soon as possible [22]. The methods of its management in a given place are influenced by many factors, including technical, environmental, social, and political aspects [23,24]. A sustainable model of rainwater management should be based on its retention, infiltration, and, above all, economic use [25][26][27].…”