STORMLAND

The project at a glance

Start date:

01 Jun 2024
Duration in months:

36
Funding:

FNR / LSC360
Principal Investigator(s):

Silvia VENDITTI

About

Urban stormwater runoff has been recognized as an important source for water quality pollution. Its characterization and monitoring have often been limited to the presence of conventional compounds such as organic pollutants, nutrients, solids, and heavy metals but not enough information is given to emerging pollutants in very low concentrations (micropollutants). Because of its sensitive rivers, high traffic congestion and increased urbanization rate, Luxembourg is known to be vulnerable to the occurrence of biocides and pesticides mobilized from surface runoff but also to tire wear-related compounds, for which very little is known. The STORMLAND project aims thus to advance the research and innovation in stormwater characterization and treatment from separate drainage systems paying attention to the water quality aspects that have been neglected so far. The challenges are multiple: on one side the prioritization of relevant pollutants, on the other side the lack of engineering standards and guidelines tailored to the issue. The monitoring of stormwater and its characterization will benefit from a combined approach of non-target and target screening which will enable the detection of compounds that would be discarded otherwise. This will be the basis for the validation of a fit-to-purpose catalogue of novel constructed wetland designs where different possible configurations (i.e. non-conventional substrates, type of plants and operating parameters) are proposed depending on the type of pollution and/or runoff, to ultimately provide a high-quality effluent standard to be safely discharged in compliance with the Water Frame Directive. Once the results are integrated and validated into a novel design, the potential for its implementation in various streams can be considered unlimited.