Stormwater Pollutants
The Vermont Stormwater Manual, (vol 1 & vol 2) is a valuable resource for background data and approaches for stormwater management as pertain specifically to Vermont. Below are pollutant averages (vol 2; P.7) which we might expect to see in stormwater:
While these amounts may seem benign, consider how 55 mg/L TSS would add up:
In peak storm events, we have witnessed 5000 liters/second that flows through tributary 7 of Potash Brook.
At this rate, there would be 275,000 mg TSS/second, or 275 grams TSS/second or 0.6 poundsTSS/second!
Were this magnitude sustained, this would translate into 36 pounds per minute of sediment which is flowing through the tributary!