This research presents a case study of the impacts of stormwater infiltration ona shallow unconfined aquifer at a bioinfiltration BMP on the campus of VillanovaUniversity. The study site is a vegetated basin that with a 0.53 hectares drainage areaconsisting of parking areas and recreational fields with 35% directly connectedimpervious area. The study utilizes continuous monitoring of groundwater elevation,temperature and conductivity in conjunction with surface water hydrologicmonitoring to assess the transport of conductivity and to examine the extent ofgroundwater mounding. Results indicate a direct impact on groundwater conductivitynear the BMP, but also show significant attenuation compared to influent surfacewater. Following storms less than approximately 1.9 cm the upgradient control wellpresents larger increases in groundwater elevation, but for larger storms the welladjacent to the site displays increased mounding. Groundwater elevation monitoringindicates that the extent of groundwater mounding is related to infiltration rate andgroundwater temperature. This study demonstrates the utility of groundwatermonitoring for the purpose of BMP performance assessment. It is suggested thatgroundwater monitoring be considered for site monitoring plans and as a tool forBMP site selection.
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