Determining cost and treatment effective soil and plant combinations in bioretention cells for storm water management in the Piedmont Region of Georgia

Abstract

Six bioretention cells at the Rockdale Career Academy in Conyers, GA were studied in order to determine which set of cells, the control (40% topsoil, 40% engineered soil amendments, 20% sand) or the experimental (40% topsoil, 20% engineered soil amendments, and 40% sand), were more cost and treatment effective. Water quality analysis found that experimental cells reduced pollutants (metals, solids, and nutrients) in storm water runoff just as effectively as the control cells. The cost analysis showed that combinations of experimental bioretention cells provided the least cost solutions to meet water quality criteria and runoff volume requirements. The experimental bioretention cells were also found to be more cost effective at treating water quality, per cubic foot of runoff treated. It was concluded that the experimental bioretention cells were likely to be more cost and treatment effective than the control cells.