Integrated water management

Integrated Stormwater Management Planning

Introduction

Historic approaches to stormwater management – which initially focused on conveyance, followed by flood control and eventually some aspects of water quality – failed to address the full range of water resources related issues associated with stormwater runoff. To adequately deal with changes to the volume, rate and timing of runoff, and to design source, conveyance and end-of-pipe controls capable of satisfying groundwater recharge, water quality, variable environmental flow targets, and other goals, a holistic, integrated approach to stormwater planning and management is required. To achieve this, a robust, interdisciplinary team consisting of infrastructure planners, water resources engineers, geomorphologists, hydrogeologists, ecologists, fisheries biologists, landscape architects and others must come together in order to define key targets and resource management goals underpinning the One Water approach.

Movement of water from one location to another.

The portion of water precipitated onto a catchment area, which then flows as surface discharge from the catchment area past a specified point.

Water from rain, snow melt, or irrigation that flows over the land surface.

Increases in groundwater storage by natural conditions or by human activity. See also artificial recharge

The inflow of surface water to a groundwater reservoir or aquifer.