The Water Quality and Quantity Performance of a Permeable Pavement System in Louisville, KY

This study presents the initial efforts to determine the stormwater quantity and quality benefits of a permeable pavement system installed along the parking lane of an urban street in Louisville, KY. This system was among a series of green infrastructure (GI) practices implemented as part of the Louisville Metropolitan Sewer District (MSD)’s Integrated Overflow Abatement Plan.Piezometers installed within the permeable pavement’s underlying storage gallery enabled measuring water quantity performance. The water quality benefits were quantified by comparing a finite number of first flush grab samples from street runoff with samples obtained from the bottom of the infiltration trench through monitoring wells. The initial results, based on the discrete storm events sampled, indicate the GI has the potential to both effectively capture runoff and reduce TSS, total phosphorous, and E. coli concentrations. Further study is recommended to validate the efficacy of the permeable paver system to provide water quality benefits.