Changes

==Inspection and Maintenance==

==Inspection and Maintenance==

Bioretention requires regular, routine inspection and maintenance of the landscaping as well as periodic inspection of other parts of the facility. Routine maintenance should include weeding, pruning, and mulching, similar to other landscaped areas, as well as the removal of trash, debris and sediment accumulated in pretreatment areas, inlets and outlets. Watering may be needed until plant establishment (first 2 years). <br>

Bioretention requires regular, routine inspection and maintenance of the landscaping as well as periodic inspection of other parts of the facility. Routine maintenance should include weeding, pruning, and mulching, similar to other landscaped areas, as well as the removal of trash, debris and sediment accumulated in pretreatment areas, inlets and outlets. Watering may be needed until plant establishment (first 2 years). Periodic replacement of the top 5 cm of filter media around inlets (e.g., every 5 to 10 years) will help maintain treatment performance.<br>

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Inspections should occur twice annually (spring and late fall) and after major storm events. Inspect for vegetation density (≥ 80% coverage), damage by foot or vehicle traffic, erosion, debris and sediment accumulation, and damage to pretreatment devices.<br>

Inspections should occur twice annually (spring and late fall) and after major storm events. Inspect for vegetation density (≥ 80% coverage), damage by foot or vehicle traffic, erosion, debris and sediment accumulation, and damage to pretreatment devices.<br>

Cleanouts and access points should be provided to allow clean-out of the underdrain and overflow pipe. Camera inspection of these pipes should be conducted every 5 years to ensure pipes are free of roots, sediment and debris. Hydraulic flushing or root removal may be needed to clear debris or obstructions.

Cleanouts and access points should be provided to allow clean-out of the underdrain and overflow pipe. Camera inspection of these pipes should be conducted every 5 years to ensure pipes are free of roots, sediment and debris. Hydraulic flushing or root removal may be needed to clear debris or obstructions.

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[[File:Bioretention_TSS.png|200px|thumb]]

[[File:Bioretention_TSS.png|200px|thumb]]

The two box plot figures to the right show combined stormwater effluent quality results from STEP monitoring projects conducted over a 16-year time period (between 2005 and 2021) at sites within Greater Toronto Area (GTA) municipalities.  Total Suspended Solid (TSS) effluent concentration results for bioretention practices represent the combined results from 9 sites in the GTA.  Median TSS concentration was found to be 9.5 mg/L and exceeded the Canadian Water Quality Guideline of 30 mg/L (CCME, 2002<ref>Canadian Council of Ministers of the Environment (CCME). 2002. Canadian water quality guidelines for the protection of aquatic life: Total particulate matter. In: Canadian Environmental Quality Guidelines, Canadian Council of Ministers of the Environment, Winnipeg</ref>) during only 15% of the 301 monitored storm events, similar to STEP [[Permeable pavements#Water_Quality| Permeable Pavements performance]] results.  In comparison, median TSS effluent concentration for bioretention in the International Stormwater BMP Database was found to be 10.0 mg/L, based on 685 monitored storm events (Clary et al. 2020)<ref>Clary, J., Jones, J., Leisenring, M., Hobson, P., Strecker, E. 2020. International Stormwater BMP Database: 2020 Summary Statistics. The Water Research Foundation. [https://www.waterrf.org/system/files/resource/2020-11/DRPT-4968_0.pdf</ref>, so quite similar to results from STEP studies.  Median TP concentration was found to be 0.09 mg/L and exceeded the Ontario Provincial Water Quality Objective (PWQO) of 0.03 mg/L (OMOEE, 1994<ref>Ontario Ministry of Environment and Energy (OMOEE), 1994. Policies, Guidelines and Provincial Water Quality Objectives of the Ministry of Environment and Energy. Queen’s Printer for Ontario. Toronto, ON.</ref>) during 86% of the 355 monitored storm events.  In comparison, median TP effluent concentration for bioretention in the International Stormwater BMP Database was found to be 0.240 mg/L, based on 667 monitored storm events (Clary et al. 2020)<ref>Clary, J., Jones, J., Leisenring, M., Hobson, P., Strecker, E. 2020. International Stormwater BMP Database: 2020 Summary Statistics. The Water Research Foundation. [https://www.waterrf.org/system/files/resource/2020-11/DRPT-4968_0.pdf</ref>, which is well above the Ontario PWQO of 0.03 mg/L. These results indicate that the design of bioretention draining to phosphorus-limited receiving waterbodies should include variations to improve [[Phosphorus]] retention.  An example of such a design variation is including sorption [[Additives| additives]] in [[Bioretention: Filter media]].  Please refer to the [[Phosphorus]] and [[Additives]] pages for further guidance.

The two box plot figures to the right show combined stormwater effluent quality results from STEP monitoring projects conducted over a 16-year time period (between 2005 and 2021) at sites within Greater Toronto Area (GTA) municipalities.  Total Suspended Solid (TSS) effluent concentration results for bioretention practices represent the combined results from 9 sites in the GTA.  Median TSS concentration was found to be 9.5 mg/L and exceeded the Canadian Water Quality Guideline of 30 mg/L (CCME, 2002<ref>Canadian Council of Ministers of the Environment (CCME). 2002. Canadian water quality guidelines for the protection of aquatic life: Total particulate matter. In: Canadian Environmental Quality Guidelines, Canadian Council of Ministers of the Environment, Winnipeg</ref>) during only 15% of the 301 monitored storm events, similar to STEP [[Permeable pavements#Water_Quality| Permeable Pavements performance]] results.  In comparison, median TSS effluent concentration for bioretention in the International Stormwater BMP Database was found to be 10.0 mg/L, based on 685 monitored storm events (Clary et al. 2020)<ref>Clary, J., Jones, J., Leisenring, M., Hobson, P., Strecker, E. 2020. International Stormwater BMP Database: 2020 Summary Statistics. The Water Research Foundation. [https://www.waterrf.org/system/files/resource/2020-11/DRPT-4968_0.pdf</ref>, so quite similar to results from STEP studies.  Median TP concentration was found to be 0.09 mg/L and exceeded the Ontario Provincial Water Quality Objective (PWQO) of 0.03 mg/L (OMOEE, 1994<ref>Ontario Ministry of Environment and Energy (OMOEE), 1994. Policies, Guidelines and Provincial Water Quality Objectives of the Ministry of Environment and Energy. Queen’s Printer for Ontario. Toronto, ON.</ref>) during 86% of the 355 monitored storm events.  In comparison, median TP effluent concentration for bioretention in the International Stormwater BMP Database was found to be 0.240 mg/L, based on 667 monitored storm events (Clary et al. 2020)<ref>Clary, J., Jones, J., Leisenring, M., Hobson, P., Strecker, E. 2020. International Stormwater BMP Database: 2020 Summary Statistics. The Water Research Foundation. [https://www.waterrf.org/system/files/resource/2020-11/DRPT-4968_0.pdf</ref>, which is well above the Ontario PWQO of 0.03 mg/L. These results indicate that the design of bioretention draining to phosphorus-limited receiving waterbodies should include variations to improve [[Phosphorus]] retention.  An example of such a design variation is including sorption [[Additives| additives]] in [[Bioretention: Filter media]].  Please refer to the [[Phosphorus]] and [[Additives]] pages for further guidance.  Another example of a design variation to enhance retention of phosphorus is including a sorption media filter manufactured treatment device as part of the treatment train design.

[[File:Bioretention_TP.png|200px|thumb]]

[[File:Bioretention_TP.png|200px|thumb]]

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