Prepared by Jane Clary, F.EWRI and submitted to Fall 2024 Currents.
In the mid-1990s, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) provided initial funding to the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) to begin developing the International Stormwater Best Management Practices (BMP) Database to advance the state of the practice in stormwater quality management. Since that time, ASCE-EWRI has been part of a partner coalition maintaining and growing the project. In 2004, the Water Research Foundation (then known as the Water Environment Research Federation) became the lead sponsor of the project, working collaboratively with EPA, ASCE-EWRI, the U.S. Federal Highway Administration, the National Academies of Sciences and others. In 2024, ASCE-EWRI and WRF entered into a new partner agreement that will continue the long-term collaboration into the future with ASCE-EWRI now assuming the lead role. Members of EWRI’s Urban Water Resources Research Council and others are part of a Steering Committee that will lead the project into the future.
As of 2024, the database stores performance information for over 790 BMPs throughout the U.S. and several other countries with over 385,000 water quality records for over 500 pollutants for BMPs such as bioretention, extended detention basins, wetland basins, permeable pavement, manufactured treatment devices and other practices. Academic researchers and local governments voluntarily submit performance studies to the database to collaboratively advance stormwater management practice to improve water quality and protect drinking water sources.
Over the past 25 years, the project has evolved substantially beyond a data repository and includes regularly updated reports describing how various BMP types perform for pollutants such as nutrients, bacteria, metals, and solids. An on-line dynamic data retrieval and statistical analysis tool enables researchers to conduct their own queries for specific BMPs and pollutant types. Empirical data can be used as an objective basis for regulatory dialogue between regulators and permittees and is frequently used to support water quality models and storm drainage criteria manuals nationally. The project also includes monitoring and reporting protocols to improve the quality of research and help standardize study methodologies for stormwater monitoring programs.
The project team is now actively seeking BMP performance studies to upload to the BMP Database, particularly studies completed over the last five years (2019-2024). If you are interested in submitting performance studies or learning more about the project, please contact Jane Clary.