Results from a National Assessment of Urban Stormwater Runoff Potential

Description

Date: Presented at StormCon 2024 in Reno, Nevada on August 28, 2024
Speaker: Bruk Berhanu
Credits: 0.75 PDH / Approved for all Envirocert International, Inc. (ECI) Certifications: Approval #PDH-0042

Urban stormwater runoff capture has received heightened interest from municipal water providers in the water-scarce western United States. This presentation will focus on the modeling approach and tools used and a discussion of volumetric estimates of stormwater runoff across geographies. The presentation will have four components: 1) A description of the TELR model mechanics and inputs; 2) Volumetric stormwater runoff estimates at the national level, disaggregated across multiple spatial scales; 3) The appropriate context by which to view these results and discuss key considerations in interpreting the estimates for specific geographies; and 4) An examination and discussion of the results in a policy context, using case examples. Major themes of this discussion will include non-water supply drivers for urban stormwater runoff capture, potential co-benefits, and recommendations for future analyses and policy action. This presentation will cover the methodology and results of a national-scale assessment of volumetric urban stormwater runoff potential in urban areas of the United States. The presentation will cover results for a range of spatial scales, highlighting specific areas with compelling cases for further consideration of stormwater capture as a water supply strategy.

Session duration: 45 minutes

About the Presenter

Dr. Bruk Berhanu is a Senior Researcher at the Pacific Institute where he is leading national assessments of Water Efficiency and Reuse feasibility and potential. Bruk has worked in the municipal water/wastewater utility industry where he supported long-range infrastructure planning, demand forecasting, and reuse feasibility assessments. Bruk received a B.S. from the University of Pittsburgh, and a dual-M.S./M.P.Aff. and Ph.D in Civil Engineering from the University of Texas at Austin.