SpringerLink
Log in

Development of a multi-criteria index ranking system for urban runoff best management practices (BMPs) selection

  • Published:
Environmental Monitoring and Assessment Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Low impact development best management practices (LID-BMPs) are considered to be cost-effective measures for mitigating the water quantity and quality impact of urban runoff. Currently, there are many types of LID-BMPs, and each type has its own intrinsic technical and/or economical characteristics and limitations for implementation. The selection of the most appropriate BMP type(s) for a specific installation site is therefore a very important planning step. In the present study, a multi-criteria selection index system (MCIS) for LID-BMP planning was developed. The selection indexes include 12 first-level indices and 26 second-level indices which reflect the specific installation site characteristics pertaining to site suitability, runoff control performance, and economics of implementation. A mechanism for ranking the BMPs was devised. First, each individual second-level index was assigned a numeric value that was based on site characteristics and information on LID-BMPs. The quantified indices were normalized and then integrated to obtain the score for each of the first-level index. The final evaluation scores of each LID-BMP were then calculated based on the scores for the first-level indices. Finally, the appropriate BMP types for a specific installation site were determined according to the rank of the final evaluation scores. In order to facilitate the application of the MCIS BMP ranking system, the computational process has been coded into a software program, BMPSELEC. A case study demonstrating the MCIS methodology, using an LID-BMP implementation planning at a college campus in Foshan, Guangdong Province, is presented.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Subscribe and save

Springer+ Basic
EUR 32.99 /Month
  • Get 10 units per month
  • Download Article/Chapter or Ebook
  • 1 Unit = 1 Article or 1 Chapter
  • Cancel anytime
Subscribe now

Buy Now

Price includes VAT (Germany)

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4
Fig. 5
Fig. 6
Fig. 7
Fig. 8
Fig. 9
Fig. 10

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Baptista, M., Barraud, S., & Alfakih, E. (2001). Data analysis for the elaboration of technical and economic indicators of alternative stormwater drainage systems. Proceeding of 4th International Conference On Innovative Technologies In Urban Drainage, Novatech2001, Villeurbanne, France (in French).

  • Cheng, M. S., Zhen, J., & Shoemaker, L. (2009). BMP decision support system for evaluating stormwater management alternatives. Frontiers of Environmental Science & Engineering in China, 3(4), 453–463.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gitau, M. W., Veith, T. L., & Gbrurek, W. J. (2004). Farm-level optimization of BMP placement for cost-effective pollution reduction. Transactions of the ASAE, 47(6), 1923–2004.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hunt, W.F., & Lord, W.G. (2006). Bioretention performance, design, construction, and maintenance. North Carolina Cooperative Extension Service Bulletin. Urban Waterways Series. AG-588-5. North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC.

  • Jia, H. F., Lu, Y. W., Zhen, X., & Yu, S. L. (2012). Planning of LID-BMPs for urban runoff control: the case of Bei**g Olympic village. Separation and Purification Technology, 84, 112–119.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Li, S. P., & Huang, T. L. (2002). Influence on rainfall run-off due to urbanization and rain-water flood control in the city. China Municipal Engineering (3), 35–37, 67 (in Chinese).

    Google Scholar 

  • Revitt, D. M., & Ellis, J. B. (2001). Drainage, runoff and groundwater. In G. Mudge (Ed.), Guidelines for the environmental management of highways (pp. 67–102). London: Institution of Highways & Transportation.

    Google Scholar 

  • Revitt, D. M., Ellis, J. B., & Scholes, L. (2003). Review of the use of storm water BMPs in Europe. Report 5.1. EU 5th Framework DayWater Project. Middlesex University.

  • Scholes, L., Revitt, D.M., & Ellis, J.B. (2005). Determination of numerical values for the assessment of BMPs. Middlesex University.

  • Shoemaker, L., Riverson,J., Khalid, A., Zhen, J., Sabu, P., & Rafi, T. (2009). SUSTAIN, a framework for placement of best management practices in urban watersheds to protect water quality. Report EPA/600/R-09/095, USEPA, Washington, DC, USA.

  • The Ministry of Construction, PRC. (1991). City Land Use Classification and Development Standards (GBJ137-90), Bei**g. (in Chinese).

  • USDA NRCS. (1986). Urban hydrology for small watersheds-Technical Release 55(TR55), Second Ed. Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA).

  • USEPA. (1999). Preliminary data summary of urban stormwater best management practices. EPA-821-R-99-012. Washington, DC: USEPA.

  • USEPA. (2004a). Stormwater best management practice design guide. EPA/600/R-04/121. Washington, DC: USEPA.

  • USEPA. (2004b). The use of best management practices (BMPs) in urban watersheds. EPA/600/R-04/184. Washington, DC: USEPA.

  • Viavattene, C., Ellis, J. B., Revitt, D. M., Seiker, H., & Peters, C. (2010). The application of a GIS-based BMP selection tool for the evaluation of hydrologic performance and storm flow reduction. Proceeding of 7th International Conference on Sustainable Techniques and Strategies for Urban Water Management; NOVATECH2010, Lyon, France.

  • Young, K. D., Younos, T., Dymond, R. L., Kibler, D., & Lee, D. H. (2010). Application of the analytical hierarchy process for selecting and modeling stormwater best management practices. Journal of Contemporary Water Resources and Education, 146, 50–63.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Zhen, X., & Yu, S. L. (2004). Optimal location and sizing of stormwater basins at watershed scale. Journal of Water Resources Planning and Management, 130(4), 339–347.

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgments

We thank Mr. Yongchang Yu of the Foshan Municipal Environmental Protection Bureau for his assistance in data collection and analysis. Funding for the study was provided by the Programme of Introducing Talents of Discipline to Universities (B07002), Natural Science Foundation Project (51278267) and the National Water Pollution Control Special Project (no. 2011ZX07301-003). The authors would like to especially thank Ms. Yurong Chen of the School of Environment, Tsinghua University for her assistance in data analysis and in preparing some of the figures.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Environment, Tsinghua University, Bei**g, 100084, People’s Republic of China

    Haifeng Jia, Ying Tang & Yuwen Lu

  2. School of Engineering, China Agricultural University, Bei**g, 100083, People’s Republic of China

    Hairong Yao

  3. Department of Civil & Environmental Engineering, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, USA

    Shaw L. Yu

  4. Tetra Tech, Inc, Fairfax, VA, USA

    Jenny X. Zhen

Authors
  1. Haifeng Jia
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Hairong Yao
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Ying Tang
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Shaw L. Yu
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. Jenny X. Zhen
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  6. Yuwen Lu
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Haifeng Jia.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Jia, H., Yao, H., Tang, Y. et al. Development of a multi-criteria index ranking system for urban runoff best management practices (BMPs) selection. Environ Monit Assess 185, 7915–7933 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10661-013-3144-0

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10661-013-3144-0

Keywords

Search

Navigation