Assessing the performance of urban BMPs in Scotland

Best Management Practices (BMPs) in urban drainage have been promoted in Sc otland for a number of years in response to the need to combat pollution ar ising from diffuse sources in urban areas. This has led to the construction of around one hundred BMP installations using both source and end of pipe control. These are principally in the East of Scotland, and the number is g rowing rapidly as education and knowledge increases. A programme of investigations into the factors which influence the performa nce of the systems commenced in 1997. A range of types of BMP are under stu dy including both source control and end of pipe systems. The sites have be en divided into groups for which different depths of investigation are bein g undertaken. The programme involves a number of parallel investigations re quiring field studies, data reviews and enquiries to confirm applicability and performance in situ. Many of the factors which influence the selection, installation and operation of a particular system are social, legal and ad ministrative in addition to those which relate to its design and constructi on. The different strands of the study have been developed to ensure that a ll influences are identified and evaluated. (C) 1999 Published by Elsevier Science Ltd on behalf of the IAWQ. All rights reserved.