What Price Stormwater Management

This paper has its origins in some internal work we have been doing, giving thought to the place of stormwater management in our business. It will focus in particular on the management of urban stormwater discharges. It presents some of the ideas we have developed about the evolution of urban stormwater management in New Zealand from the perspective of over 25 years of personal practise in the area.

The paper will challenge the place of the stormwater drainage mind-set in our current work environments and will also ask (and try to answer) some of the questions about what is meant by stormwater management. The paper will identify and discuss some of the common pitfalls practitioners experience with respect to the management of stormwater discharges in the urban environment and some potential means of avoiding those pitfalls.

The paper will present a range of experiences to stimulate thought and discussion amongst those who view it. Rather than to provide any definitive answers the intended outcome of this paper is to encourage each of us to think about what we need to achieve in our working environment and the priorities we need to focus on from a stormwater perspective.