Sampling Urban Stormwater: Lessons Learned from a Field Campaign in a Little Town of Spain

Lopez-Julian, Pedro Luis (Universidad de Zaragoza) ; Acero-Oliete, Alejandro ; Antolín Cañada, Diego ; Borque Horna, Carmelo ; Arvia, Mariarosaria ; Russo, Beniamino

Resumen: The water quality characteristics of urban stormwater in a small town (La Almunia, 8000 inhabitants) in Northeast Spain with a combined sewer system have been studied. A specific device was designed to collect stormwater just before it enters the drainage network at five different points in the urban area, thus obtaining an approximate calculation of the mean event concentration values for the surface runoff generated during eight rainfall episodes. The results obtained demonstrated a high variability in the average concentrations of the events. The highest measured values corresponded mainly to the periods of the greatest road traffic from agricultural machinery within the town (harvest and manure seasons), resulting in peaks mainly in electrical conductivity and dissolved oxygen demand. This finding has been confirmed by the spatial study of the results, since the maximum values of these parameters were located in those areas of preferential transit of agricultural machinery; in addition, a possible relationship has also been observed between the maximum values of nitrogen and phosphorus in stormwater and older urban areas, due to the washing of bird droppings accumulated on the roofs. In general, all obtained results indicate that the stormwater samples generated in La Almunia present a low contaminant load, with the mean concentration event values calculated for half of the events falling within the discharge limit values established by the European Union. This fact, combined with the spatial and temporal location of the highest levels of stormwater pollution, helps evaluate urban cleanup operations and the operational capacity of both the urban drainage network and the wastewater treatment plant.

Idioma: Inglés

DOI: 10.3390/w17223294

Año: 2025

Publicado en: Water (Switzerland) 17, 22 (2025), 3294 [12 pp.]
ISSN: 2073-4441

Financiación: info:eu-repo/grantAgreement/ES/MICINN/132098B-C22

Tipo y forma: Artículo (Versión definitiva)

Área (Departamento): Área Geodinámica Externa (Dpto. Ciencias de la Tierra)