Epsilon Archive for Student Projects

Abstract

This study was motivated by the outlook of climate changes, expectations of more stormwater in the future, and the potential impact of stormwater on receiving waters. The study set out to investigate how Danish municipalities balance stormwater management with environmental objectives as set out by the WFD and national law. The general aim was to understand if the current stormwater management practice could impede compliance with environmental objectives.
After an outline of the legal frames for the practice, an interview study about the practice, with seven municipal water managers from four different municipalities, who process discharge permits, was carried out. The qualitative data was analysed through a practice theoretical perspective in order to understand the water managers’ way of reasoning and how they balance the need of stormwater discharge with environmental objectives.
Some of the main impediments to compliance with environmental objectives were found to be lack of environmental data on receiving waters and a lack of knowledge about the pollution profile of stormwater. These two elements have created a practice where a low-tech treatment/delay facility is required in permits but no further consistent monitoring of the discharge is carried out. However, uncertainties remain about the efficiency of available technology and whether the use of the technologies perceived as Best Available Technology (BAT) is sufficient to comply with environmental objectives.