Design of Storm Water Management System for the Water Stressed Areas in Palakkad District

Abstract

During the past few years, water has become a scarce resource in dif ferent parts of the world and the conservation and re-use of stormwater runoff is often important to supplement the water supply chains. Stormwater management systems involve many challenges including flooding and associated property damage, combined sewer over-flows, and poor water quality in surface waters. Design of StormTech chambers for critical areas is an important step in addressing these issues. In this paper, a multi-criteria analysis technique is used for identification of water stressed areas in Palakkad district of Kerala. The methodology considers factors in the form of various thematic layers like slope, rainfall distribution map, lineament density, land use and soil map were integrated in ArcGIS. Considering the various factors obtained from remotely sensed data and other thematic maps a weightage rating system is developed. The StormTech chamber is designed for a critical water stressed area within the district, considering the infiltration rate, permeability of soil and adequate slope for gravity flow. The implementation of StormTech chambers will be essential for stormwater collection, recharging groundwater and since the chambers are underground, the land above can be used for light constructions. The paper also aims to study the economy of StormTech chambers with respect to the other conventional stormwater management systems.