Stormwater is the name for rainwater and snowmelt runoff from impervious surfaces in the urban environment. This water often carries large amounts of pollutants such as heavy metals, nutrients, and oil-related substances, which can cause great damage if they reach the receiving waters. To clean the storm water and thus reduce the pollution load, more and more open storm water systems are being built, such as wetlands and ponds. Studies have shown that these systems have high pollutant removal efficiency and are cost effective. Knowledge of how these systems work and how they best are evaluated is limited.
“Kungsängsdammen” near Uppsala is a newly constructed stormwater facility that is designed to clean and retard stormwater from the industrial and commercial area Boländerna. This thesis aims to investigate the purification function of the facility. Flow proportional sampling was carried out at the inlet and outlet for 8 weeks. Substances that were analyzed were nutrients P and N, suspended solids, heavy metals As, Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Mo, Ni, Pb, V, Zn and petroleum hydrocarbons. On some occasions, the petroleum-related organic parameters PAHs, octyl and nonylphenols and tributyltin were analyzed. Flow proportional sampling is recommended to determine the efficiency of a stormwater pond, but the problem is that it takes much time and considerable resources. In addition to this method, additional measurements were carried out with sediment traps, and a calculation of pollution load at the inlet with the program StormTac.
The flow proportional sampling showed that the “Kungsängsdammen” pond-, functions well as a treatment facility for pollutions. Suspended solids, nutrients and heavy metals are separated effectively and the outlet concentrations for these substances were below proposed guideline values. This is observed, despite the fact that zinc, copper, nitrogen and suspended solids had intake concentrations above the guideline values. Flow calculations showed that the bypass flow is important when estimating the pollutant removal efficiency. For organic compounds, tributyltin was measured at concentrations above the Environmental Quality Standards (EQS) for surface water both at the inlet and outlet. The inlet concentrations that were calculated in StormTac were consistent with the results of the flow proportional sampling for heavy metals and nutrients. Moreover, the investigation of sediments showed that sedimentation occurs mainly in the ditch before the pond and at the inlet to the pond. The ditch is in need of cleansing, because of the risk of sediment being washed away during high flows.
The flow proportional sampling showed that the “Kungsängsdammen” pond-, functions wellas a treatment facility for pollutions. Suspended solids, nutrients and heavy metals are separated effectively and the outlet concentrations for these substances were below proposedguideline values. This is observed, despite the fact that zinc, copper, nitrogen and suspended solids had intake concentrations above the guideline values. Flow calculations showed that the bypass flow is important when estimating the pollutant removal efficiency. For organiccompounds, tributyltin was measured at concentrations above the Environmental Quality Standards (EQS) for surface water both at the inlet and outlet. The inlet concentrations that were calculated in StormTac were consistent with the results of the flow proportional sampling for heavy metals and nutrients. Moreover, the investigation of sediments showedthat sedimentation occurs mainly in the ditch before the pond and at the inlet to the pond. The ditch is in need of cleansing, because of the risk of sediment being washed away during high flows.