Urban Runoff: Environmental Impact, Challenges and Solutions

Featuring Michael K. Stenstrom, Ph.D., P.E.
Distinguished Professor
Civil and Environmental Engineering
The Henry Samueli School of Engineering and Applied Science
UCLA

Location:  Engineering Hall 2430 Colloquia Room
Free and open to the public

Abstract:
Urban runoff or stormwater runoff from urban areas represents one of the most environmental difficult problems to solve. Pollution from point sources such as municipal and industrial wastewaters has largely been solved through the construction of treatment plants and source controls. Urban runoff is much more difficult to solve, since it is discharged from many more sources and responsibilities for its management are still poorly defined. It produces major impairments to receiving water and the fraction of sites being impacted by runoff is growing.

The seminar will present a brief review of the progress in managing urban runoff in the west Los Angeles area. The challenges associated with its management will be discussed as well as a summary of the tools that have been developed to better manage it. The seminar will include a discussion of landuse models for predicting pollutant emission rates, remote sensing to ascertain urban landuse, best management performance, and some of the statistical challenges associated with characterizing urban runoff.