Project Overview

Problem and Constraints

The goal of this project is to design two new best management practices (BMPs) for the city of Elizabethtown, KY. In recent years, flooding has become an issue and there has been an increase in sediment loads in runoff due to construction in the area. The constraints of the project are:

• Must adhere to EPA standards.

• Current BMPs must remove 80% of total suspended solids from the first 0.75” of rain after rain events.

Additional design considerations are:

• Overall Cost for the proposed project

• Impact the proposed solutions will have on those living around project

• Amount of space available for proposed solutions

• Accessibility to the site so that the designs can be built and monitored

• Aesthetically appealing to fit the surrounding area

• How much maintenance is needed for the proposed BMPs

Below is an image of the chosen parcel of city owned land with utilities marked. The second image shows a red dot in the southwestern portion of the watershed representing the proposed location

Design Solution

The team proposed the use of a sand filter basin as well as a vegetated area, working together in order to minimize sediment and nutrient loads in stormwater and runoff. Sand filter basins are good for removing sediment and involve minimal maintenance. A vegetated area will be constructed around the sand filter basin using native vegetation. Native vegetation will serve as support for the sides of the sand filter basin. Vegetated areas are also low maintenance. These two BMPs working together will allow maximum efficiency is removing sediment.