TRIECA Webinar Series: Ground Source Cooling of Stormwater Pond Outflows: New Research on a Cost and Space Efficient Method to Mitigate the Thermal Impacts of Stormwater Ponds on Aquatic Life
This webinar provides a contextual overview of several thermal mitigation options monitored and evaluated in Ontario, followed by a more focused discussion of geothermal cooling as a new and innovative approach to addressing the problem of thermally enriched flows from stormwater ponds.
Presentation Overview:
Water temperature is a critical component of stream health, as it regulates both biotic and abiotic processes in streams. It can be both the driving and constraining factor for the survival of aquatic organisms.
When runoff is drained through storm water wet ponds, solar radiation heats the open pond water, resulting in thermally enriched outflows that exceed tolerance thresholds of aquatic organisms adapted to cooler water.
Several measures have been devised to help mitigate temperatures and thermal loads from stormwater ponds. These include:
- Subsurface draw outlets
- Cooling trenches
- Night-time release outlets
- Low impact development techniques
This webinar will provide a contextual overview of several thermal mitigation options monitored and evaluated in Ontario, followed by a more focused discussion of geothermal cooling as a new and innovative approach to addressing the problem of thermally enriched flows from stormwater ponds.
Results discussed are based on temperature and flow monitoring of a pilot geo-cooling system installed at the outlet of a pond in the City of Brampton.
A preliminary decision support tool was developed based on performance data and modelling to assist with sizing and costing of systems for ponds of varying size and outlet characteristics.
The presentation will discuss overall feasibility of the approach along with opportunities for combining the system with other thermal mitigation approaches to optimize system performance and reduce cost.
Learning Objectives:
1. Learn about the problem of stormwater thermal enrichment in streams and the various mitigation measures that have been implemented in northern climates.
2. Learn about the application and effectiveness of a geothermal cooling system piloted in the City of Brampton in 2019.
3. Understand how geo-cooling systems can be combined with other practices to optimize overall thermal mitigation performance and reduce system costs.
Presenters:
Tim Van Seters, Toronto and Region Conservation Authority (TRCA)
Erik Jannsen, Toronto and Region Conservation Authority (TRCA)
Learn More About Thermal Mitigation:
To learn more about Thermal Mitigation and research projects conducted by STEP, please click here
Additional information:
IECA and Landscape Ontario members are eligible for discounts. To register at this discounted price, please contact us at STEP@trca.ca and provide your member ID for membership confirmation.
Are you viewing this webinar with a group? You can add additional viewing attendees to your order, provided you are all viewing in the same location. Additional attendees qualify for a reduced registration fee of only $15 per person!
If you have any additional questions, please contact us at STEP@trca.ca