Water Budget Triangle: A New Conceptual Framework for Comparison of Green and Gray Infrastructure

摘要

A new ternary plot tool, the Water Budget Triangle, is described and examined for comparing hydrologic functions of unlike systems. The tool is intended as a visual indicator of the distribution of mass outflow among event runoff (Q), evapotranspiration (ET), and percolated or stored drainage (I) to evaluate and compare GI technologies. The same tool may be used to plot other stormwater systems such as storm sewers, cisterns, and detention or retention ponds for comparison and reference. This tool may be used as an analytical monitoring device to identify "normal" operating zones for individual installations of classes of systems, and also as a diagnostic tool to identify systems that are not functioning within their intended range.