Bio‐ecological drainage system (BIOECODS) for water quantity and quality control

Abstract

Land use change in urbanizing watersheds can have a significant impact on hydrologic and hydraulic process as well a degradation of water quality on receiving waters. The Bio‐Ecological Drainage System (BIOECODS) consists of elements of storage, flow retarding and infiltration engineering. Swales, dry ponds, detention ponds and wetland are the main components of BIOECODS that function as flow attenuation and water quality treatment devices. The BIOECODS is a pilot project that meets the requirements of the Stormwater Management Manual for Malaysia and has been constructed at the Engineering Campus of the University Science Malaysia, Nibong Tebal, Penang. BIOECODS represents an alternative to the traditional hard engineering‐based drainage system to manage stormwater quantity and quality for urban areas.

This article discusses how the BIOECODS could be implemented to control stormwater quantity from an urbanized area and reduce the water quality impact on the receiving water.

Keywords:

• Stormwater management
• control at source
• BMPs
• sustainable urban drainage system
• stormwater modelling