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Stormwater Management in Sponge Cities

A special issue of Water (ISSN 2073-4441). This special issue belongs to the section "Urban Water Management".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 15 May 2025 | Viewed by 10047

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Guest Editor
Escola de Ciências e Tecnologia, Universidade de Trás-os-Montes e Alto Douro, Quinta de Prados, 5000-801 Vila Real, Portugal
Interests: wastewater and greywater reuse; rainwater harvesting; low impact development; energy to water nexus; urban drainage systems
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Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Sponge cities are urban areas designed to absorb, capture, and manage stormwater runoff in a sustainable manner, mimicking the natural hydrological cycle. This concept is a response to rapid urbanization and the increased instances of flooding and water pollution.

Some key aspects of stormwater management in sponge cities include the permeable surfaces such as permeable pavements, green roofs, and porous sidewalks. These surfaces allow rainwater to infiltrate into the ground rather than running off into storm drains. Incorporating green infrastructure elements like rain gardens, bioswales, and vegetated swales helps to capture and absorb stormwater. These features not only manage stormwater but also provide additional benefits such as improving air quality, enhancing biodiversity, and reducing urban heat island effect. Water Harvesting and Reuse is another key aspect to promote the harvesting and reuse of stormwater for various purposes such as irrigation, toilet flushing, and groundwater recharge. This reduces the demand of potable water sources and helps to mitigate water scarcity. By implementing these strategies and technologies, sponge cities aim to mitigate the adverse impacts of urbanization on water resources, improve urban resilience to climate change, and create healthier and more sustainable urban environments.

Effective stormwater management in sponge cities requires integrated planning and public awareness and education.

We particularly invite contributions concerning the various aspects described in the summary.

Dr. Cristina Matos
Guest Editor

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Keywords

  • NbS
  • rainwater and stormwater management
  • stormwater quality
  • runoff reduction

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Published Papers (3 papers)

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Research

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25 pages, 7427 KiB  
Article
Design of Combined Rainwater-Harvesting and Stormwater-Detention System with Passive Release for New Buildings in Taiwan
by Hsin-Yuan Tsai, Chia-Ming Fan and Chao-Hsien Liaw
Water 2025, 17(2), 204; https://doi.org/10.3390/w17020204 - 14 Jan 2025
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1182
Abstract
Taiwan experiences abundant rainfall, but faces significant water shortages, making rainwater harvesting (RWH) a potential alternative water source. Additionally, extreme rainfall events strain urban flood control systems, highlighting the need for integrated stormwater management. To address these challenges, Taiwan mandates stormwater detention (SWD) [...] Read more.
Taiwan experiences abundant rainfall, but faces significant water shortages, making rainwater harvesting (RWH) a potential alternative water source. Additionally, extreme rainfall events strain urban flood control systems, highlighting the need for integrated stormwater management. To address these challenges, Taiwan mandates stormwater detention (SWD) in new buildings. However, the current RWH and SWD systems are designed independently, with no combined design guidelines available. This study proposes three combined RWH and SWD systems, series, parallel, and enhanced parallel with a valve using a passive release mechanism. System performance was evaluated through short-term and long-term simulations. Short-term simulations were conducted to ensure the system’s compliance with the domestic flood control design standards. These simulations assessed the peak flow mitigation and lag times for 5-, 10-, and 25-year design storms under four scenarios. Long-term simulations used historical rainfall data to analyze the differences in the combined systems and operational plans for continuous rainfall events. Three performance indicators—volumetric reliability, the stormwater retention ratio, and the stormwater detention ratio—were employed to assess water supply and the stormwater detention performance. The short-term simulation results revealed that the system performance was sensitive to the initial conditions. The series and parallel systems performed well, while the enhanced parallel system outperformed the others under specific initial conditions and valve operations. In contrast, long-term simulations revealed that the series and parallel systems achieved higher stormwater retention and a more stable performance than the enhanced parallel system. Among the three systems, the parallel system offers reduced installation space, lower costs, and easier maintenance, making it the recommended option for Taiwan. This study provides valuable guidance for designing combined RWH and SWD systems. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Stormwater Management in Sponge Cities)
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24 pages, 3470 KiB  
Article
Improving the Efficiency and Environmental Friendliness of Urban Stormwater Management by Enhancing the Water Filtration Model in Rain Gardens
by Maryna Kravchenko, Yuliia Trach, Roman Trach, Tetiana Tkachenko and Viktor Mileikovskyi
Water 2024, 16(10), 1316; https://doi.org/10.3390/w16101316 - 7 May 2024
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 2814
Abstract
Rain gardens are used to solve urban problems related to the negative impact of stormwater. (1) Scientific contributions from different countries provide general guidelines for the design and operation of rain gardens in different geographical areas. Given the small spatial scale of rain [...] Read more.
Rain gardens are used to solve urban problems related to the negative impact of stormwater. (1) Scientific contributions from different countries provide general guidelines for the design and operation of rain gardens in different geographical areas. Given the small spatial scale of rain gardens, the use of existing infiltration models often leads to design errors. (2) The purpose of this paper is to develop a hydrological model by introducing a system of equations that extends the ability to calculate the rate, flow rate and time of saturation of layers with moisture and rainwater leakage from the rain garden system. (3) The results obtained allow us to describe the dynamic processes of passage and saturation of layers of the rain garden at a certain point in time, which extends the ability to calculate the flow rate. It was established that the smaller the area of the rain garden compared to the area of the catchment basin, the faster it reaches its full saturation. Increasing the thickness of the rain garden layers allows for an increase in the efficiency of water retention at a lower value of the area ratio. (4) The practical significance of the results obtained is especially important for the correct description of hydrodynamics in the system and determining the optimal conditions for the effective functioning and management of the rain garden structure for any climatic region. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Stormwater Management in Sponge Cities)
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Review

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30 pages, 3379 KiB  
Review
Review of Green Water Systems for Urban Flood Resilience: Literature and Codes
by Sebastián Valencia-Félix, Johan Anco-Valdivia, Alain Jorge Espinoza Vigil, Alejandro Víctor Hidalgo Valdivia and Carlos Sanchez-Carigga
Water 2024, 16(20), 2908; https://doi.org/10.3390/w16202908 - 13 Oct 2024
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 5378
Abstract
Achieving Urban Flood Resilience (UFR) is essential for modern societies, requiring the implementation of effective practices in different countries to mitigate hydrological events. Green Water Systems (GWSs) emerge as a promising alternative to achieve UFR, but they are still poorly explored and present [...] Read more.
Achieving Urban Flood Resilience (UFR) is essential for modern societies, requiring the implementation of effective practices in different countries to mitigate hydrological events. Green Water Systems (GWSs) emerge as a promising alternative to achieve UFR, but they are still poorly explored and present varied definitions. This article aims to define GWSs within the framework of sustainable practices and propose a regulation that promotes UFR. Through a systematic review of existing definitions and an analysis of international regulations on sustainable urban drainage systems (SuDSs), this study uncovers the varied perceptions and applications of GWSs and their role in Blue–Green Infrastructure (BGI). Furthermore, the research puts forth a standardized definition of GWSs and emphasizes the implementation of SuDSs in Peru. This approach aims to address the existing knowledge gap and contribute to the advancement of sustainable urban infrastructure. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Stormwater Management in Sponge Cities)
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