Effect of urban storm water runoff on ground water beneath recharge basins on Long Island, New York

Book · Wed Jan 01 04:00:00 EST 1986

OSTI ID:6830978

Ku, H F.H.; Simmons, D L

Urban storm water runoff was monitored during 1980-82 to investigate the source, type, quantity, and fate of contaminants routed to the more than 3,000 recharge basins on Long Island and to determine whether this runoff might be a significant source of contamination to the groundwater reservoir. Forty-six storms were monitored at five recharge basins in representative land use areas. Runoff precipitation ratios indicate that all storm runoff is derived from precipitation on impervious surfaces in the drainage area, except during storms of high intensity or long duration, when additional runoff can be derived from precipitation on permeable surfaces. Lead was present in highway runoff in concentrations up to 3,300 micrograms/L, and chloride was found in parking lot runoff concentrations up to 1,100 mg/L during winter, when salt is used for deicing. In the five composite storm water samples and nine groundwater grab samples that were analyzed for 113 EPA-designated priority pollutants, four constituents were detected in concentrations exceeding New York State guidelines of 50 micrograms/L for an individual organic compound in drinking water: p-chloro-m-cresol; 2,4-dimethylphenol; 4-nitrophenol; and methylene chloride. The presence of these constituents is attributed to contamination from point sources rather than to the quality of runoff from urban areas. The use of recharge basins to dispose of storm runoff does not appear to have significant adverse effects on groundwater quality in terms of the chemical and microbiological storm water constituents studied. 35 refs., 10 figs., 20 tabs.

• OSTI ID: 6830978
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
540320* -- Environment
Aquatic-- Chemicals Monitoring & Transport-- (1990-)
AROMATICS
CHLORIDES
CHLORINE COMPOUNDS
CONTAMINATION
DISASTERS
ECOLOGICAL CONCENTRATION
ELEMENTS
ENVIRONMENTAL TRANSPORT
FEDERAL REGION II
GROUND WATER
HALIDES
HALOGEN COMPOUNDS
HYDROGEN COMPOUNDS
HYDROXY COMPOUNDS
LEAD
MASS TRANSFER
METALS
METHYLENE CHLORIDE
MONITORING
NEW YORK
NITRO COMPOUNDS
NORTH AMERICA
ORGANIC CHLORINE COMPOUNDS
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
ORGANIC HALOGEN COMPOUNDS
ORGANIC NITROGEN COMPOUNDS
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
PHENOLS
POLLUTION
RUNOFF
STORMS
URBAN AREAS
USA
WATER
WATER POLLUTION