The Role of Sustainable Drainage Systems in the Stormwater Management: Issues in the Design of Infiltration Wells

The article presents the characteristics of selected measures classified as sustainable urban drainage systems (SUDS). The research primarily focuses on infiltration wells. Proper design of these measures requires an analysis of several variables, including the number and diameters of wells, as well as the thickness and saturated hydraulic conductivity of the sand filters. These parameters affect the depth of water in the well (distance from the water table in the well to the bottom) (h_s) and the thickness of the water layer above the sand filter (h_w). There is a lack of publications analyzing the impact of the above parameters on the well infiltration capacity. The research presented in this paper aims to analyze the impact of various selected parameters on the depth of the water in the well, which, in turn, directly affects the infiltration rate. Results show that the saturated hydraulic conductivity of the soil (k_s), design rainfall intensity, and well diameter have an impact on the required water depth (h_s). This influence increases significantly in the range of lower k_s values. Results also indicate that the thickness and the hydraulic conductivity of the upper sand filtration layer (h_f1 and k_f1, respectively) have a significant impact on the required water layer thickness above the filter (h_w). The results show that the thickness and hydraulic conductivity of the lower, coarser-grained filtration layer (h_f2 and k_f2, respectively) have a lower impact on the h_w value and, consequently, on the infiltration rate. Results may be helpful for decision-makers and engineers designing the infiltration wells for stormwater management.