CHAPTER 5 – Water Flow: A treatment system is no more efficient in pollutant removal than it is hydraulically efficient. Although certain design criteria reflect the importance of hydraulic efficiency, e.g. the length to width ratio of a basin, water flow is given insufficient consideration.

Some of the questions considered in Chapter 5

• What is hydraulic efficiency and how does it affect the performance of stormwater treatment systems?
• Why must swales treating stormwater be sized differently than swales intended only to transport stormwater?
• How is wind a factor in the performance of wet basins?
• Does thermal effect occur in all basins and how might it be minimized?
• What is the effect of temperature and salinity stratification and how can either be minimized?
• How can the hydraulic efficiency of basins be evaluated?
• What are hydrobrakes?
• What is vortex motion?
• What are the design elements that improve hydraulic efficiency of basins?

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