Stormwater Infiltration

Dealing Responsibly with Stormwater

Bruce K. Ferguson. 1994, CRC Press, 2000 Corporate Boulevard, NW, Boca Raton, FL 33431; 407/994-0555. 270 pages, hardcover, $77.45.

This is a technical book—much more than most designers and builders think they need to know about the topic—but it is reviewed here because of the significance of good stormwater management for recharging aquifers, preventing pollution, and reducing flooding (see EBN Vol. 3, No. 5). It is also a way to save money in development—you do the right thing and get paid for doing it.

The most important component of a responsible stormwater management strategy is to provide for infiltration—letting as much of the rainwater as possible soak into the ground. That’s the topic of this excellent book by landscape architect Bruce Ferguson. The book includes discussion of the following issues:

•The science of hydrology and infiltration;

•Design of landscapes to facilitate infiltration, including the most comprehensive discussion of porous pavement we’ve seen and a very good discussion of the role vegetation plays in infiltration;

•Design of various types of infiltration basin;

•Determining infiltration capacity;

•Performance of infiltration systems, including effectiveness of pollutant removal;

•Soil characteristics and maintenance for infiltration;

•Case studies of successful stormwater infiltration designs, including Michael Corbett’s Village Homes in northern California, John Lyle’s Etiwanda-Day area in southern California, and Ian McHarg’s The Woodlands in Texas.

Some of the material in Stormwater Infiltration will be too technical for most landscape architects and civil engineers, but there is much in this book that will benefit all designers dealing with stormwater. If the cost of this book is an obstacle, ask your local library to consider ordering it.