Stormwater Management

Typically, on construction sites as well as on streets, driveways, sidewalks and parking lots in general, you just want water to “go away”. It's more complicated than that because it is not just how clean the water is when it leaves your site, its also how much water is leaving your site… both during and after construction.

The key problems are:

Increased runoff volume and velocity that causes erosion
Increased peak flows (“flashiness” that scours stream channels)
Higher levels of sediment and other pollutants in the runoff

The major strategies are to minimize runoff (water) from construction site and to keep the runoff water as clean as possible.

Let rainwater and snowmelt soak into the ground slowly – remember that snow melts
Minimize bare unvegetated ground; native vegetation is usually better than decorative grass.
Minimize impervious surfaces
The less active management a BMP (Best Management Practice) requires to properly operate, the better – less maintenance cost as well

Erosion Control =	Preventing (or minimizing) the dislodgment of soil particles
Sediment Control =	Controlling soil movement resulting from failed erosion control practices