A closed urban scenic river system using stormwater treated with LID-BMP technology in a revitalized historical district in China
Introduction
The Taihu Lake Basin in Southeastern China has one of the highest degrees of industrialization and urbanization in China. However, along with the rapid urbanization and extreme land use changes over the past 30 years, many cities in the Taihu Lake basin such as Suzhou have faced serious urban water system problems. River corridors have been encroached upon, rivers have been truncated, and the numbers of blocked-off rivers and enclosed water systems have increased, all because of urban expansion and retrofit needs (Zhang et al., 2013). Similar situations have occurred in many other cities in China and other countries that have experienced rapid urbanization. Such hydro-modification activities have often resulted in a reduction of streams’ self-purification capacity and ecosystem degradation (Ballo et al., 2009, Du et al., 2012, Moore et al., 2012), which have seriously affected the quality of life and the sustainable development of cities. Urban river restoration to improve the water quality and ecological functions is becoming a concern for the government and the general public all over the world (Mitsch, 2012, Palmer et al., 2014, Hao, 2005). However, urban river restoration is a complex task for local governments, particularly in old historical cities, as it involves interactions among administrative agencies with regard to land use, landscape, aquatic environment protection, flood control, etc. (Sun et al., 2011, Loucks and Jia, 2012). An integrated systematic solution that combines knowledge of urban planning, landscape ecology, environmental science, and hydrology is needed. Low impact development best management practices (LID-BMPs) are an innovative, integrated set of methodologies and engineering systems for urban runoff control (Davis, 2005). In addition to their benefits in flood control, LID-BMPs enhance water quality purification, rainwater harvesting, esthetics, and ecology (Dietz, 2007, Jia et al., 2013b). In this context, incorporating an LID strategy in urban river restoration during new urban development or old urban revitalization has become a focus for urban planners, researchers, and managers (Wong, 2002, USEPA, 2004, Jia et al., 2012). Using the opportunity of performing a revitalization project in the Taohuawu Cultural District in Suzhou, Jiangsu Province, we conducted a case study of LID-BMP technology for stormwater harvesting, treatment, and water quality maintenance for closed urban scenic river systems. The main goal of the case study, which is the focus of the present paper, was to develop a plan that would maintain a sound habitat for aquatic life by providing the required water quantity and quality. The ecosystem restoration plan of the closed urban river systems will be considered for implementation by the local government in the ultimate development and management of the historic site restoration project.
Section snippets
The study site
Suzhou is an important, highly developed historical city in Jiangsu Province in eastern China. After a decade of fast economic development, the local government has begun to work rigorously on water pollution control and urban river rehabilitation projects. In this context, a revitalization project for the Taohuawu Cultural District in the Suzhou historical area was proposed by the local government. The Taohuawu Cultural District is the former residence site of Tang Yin, a very famous Chinese
Assessment of effects on rainwater harvest
According to the long-term monthly average rainfall data, the storms usually occur during April to October, which account for 75% annual rainfall amount. The rainfalls in other month are relatively few, and most important, these are usually light rains which are difficult to harvest. In the study, hourly rainfall data during April to October from 2001 to 2007 were collected and analyzed. The data from a representative year for Suzhou, i.e., 2005, was used for the runoff model simulation and
Conclusions
Urban river ecosystem conservation is a major concern for projects involving new urban development and the retrofitting of old cities. LID-BMPs are considered an innovative, integrated method to decrease the negative impacts of urbanization on water systems. A case study was conducted in Suzhou City to create a closed scenic water system using LID-BMP technology in a project to revitalize the Taohuawu Cultural District. It was shown that a closed water system would have the ability to maintain
Acknowledgments
This work was jointly supported by the National Water Pollution Control Special Project (2011ZX07301-003), the Natural Science Foundation Project (51278267), and the Programme of Introducing Talents of Discipline to Universities (B07002). The authors thank Mr. Zeng Shentao, Vice President of Suzhou Taohuawu Development and Construction, for his extensive support and assistance in data collection.
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