DCC6213 : HYDRAULICS AND HYDROLOGY

CASE STUDY 1 : MANAGE STORM WATER ( SWALE )

STUDENT NAME : MATRIC NO :

MUADZAM ALHAQ BIN KUZBARI 20DKA17F2037
NASFAZLIE BIN HAMIDON 20DKA17F2001
MOHD.HISBULLAH BIN EBIDON 20DKA17F2021
MUHAMMAD SAIFUDDIN BIN 20DKA17F2019
NAWAWI

LECTURE NAME : NORINI BINTI SHAMSUDIN

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 TABLE OF CONTENT

CONTENT PAGES
INTRODUCTION
SYSTEM OF SWALE
HOW TO BUILD A SWALE
ADVANTAGE &

DISADVANTAGE
TYPE OF SWALE

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 1) INTRODUCTION

Storm water, also spelled storm water, is water that originates from rain,
including snow and ice melt. Storm water can soak into the soil (infiltrate), be stored
on the land surface in ponds and puddles, evaporate, or runoff. Most runoff is
conveyed directly to nearby streams, rivers, or other water bodies (surface water)
without treatment.

There’s a way to manage storm water instead of draining it away as fast as

possible. According to MSMA, there’s are six types of approaches applied in MSMA
to manage storm water which it is detention pond, storage tank, engineered waterway,
sediment fence, gross pollutant trap and lastly swale.

Swales are linear grass covered depressions which lead surface water overland
from the drained surface to a storage or discharge system, typically using road verges.
Unlike a conventional ditch, a swale is shallow and relatively wide. It provides
temporary storage for storm water and reduces peak flows. They are located close to
the source of runoff and can form a network within a development linking storage
ponds and wetlands.

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Diagram 1: Example of swale.

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 2) SYSTEM OF SWALE

A swale is dry during dry weather but in wet weather, rainwater flows into it
along its length and moves slowly through the grass area. The grass slows down and
filters surface water flows. Sediment is deposited while oily residues and organic
matter are retained to be broken down in the top layer soil and vegetation. The
underlying aquifer can be protected, if needed, by placing an impermeable lining
under the swale below the soil.

During a rainfall event a proportion of the runoff can be lost from the swale by
infiltration, and by evaporation and transpiration. Overflows can be provided to allow
conveyance during periods of exceptionally heavy rainfall. Swales should be designed
to be dry between storm events to enhance their pollutant removal capability.

Swales work best with small gradients both for their side slopes and along their
length. Performance can be enhanced by placing check dams across the swale to
reduce the flow rate which, in turn, reduces the risk of erosion in a swale. The
pollution load can be considerably reduced even where swales discharge directly to a
watercourse. In addition, where runoff is conveyed via surface channels, wrong

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connections become obvious and can be fixed without the need for expensive surveys.

Diagram 2: System of swale.

3) HOW TO BUILD A SWALE IN THE RESIDENTIAL

LANDSCAPE

Constructing a Swale in 9 Steps

Step 1: Observe water on your site.

As water flows across a typical surface or landscape, most of it will run off
quickly without having a chance to soak into the soil, even on land that appears flat or
very gently sloping. With a swale or other earthwork such as a rain garden, the water
flows into the trench, where it slowly seeps deep into the soil. This produces little to
no runoff.

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 Diagram 3

Step 2: Identify the ideal site for a permaculture swale.

A swale can help capture water where it is being wasted in order to irrigate a
planting area.Here are some rules for siting a permaculture swale. It should be:

 10 feet away from a building (water must drain away from building)
 18 feet away from the edge of a steep slope or septic drain field

 Uphill from a garden or low spot that doesn’t drain well

 An infiltration test demonstrates an infiltration rate of at least 1 inch per hour.

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Step 3: Mark the contour line.

Use a contour level and utility flags to mark the contour line every 6 feet. This
video shows how to use a simple, homemade A-frame level to mark the contour lines.
It’s essential to mark the contour lines accurately. Swales built off-contour are not
actually swales by definition, and go by other names, such as keyline trenches or
diversion trenches.

Step 4: Dig a trench along the marked contour line.

 Typical trench depth: 6 inches to 1.5 feet deep

 Typical trench width: 18 inches to 2 feet wide

 Length: Varies by your needs, size of the space, and how much water you can
catch

Step 5: Mound the soil from the trench on the downhill side to create a berm.

Take the soil dug from the trench and place it on the downhill side.

Step 6: Test and adjust the swale.

Work the A-frame level along the bottom of the trench to test whether it is level.
Fix uneven spots. Next, observe the swale during a heavy rain event. If it overflowed,
then make the swale trench deeper, wider, or longer.

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Step 7: Plant the swale.

I recommend planting perennials that will grow permanent, thirsty roots to

stabilize the system. In desert areas, plantings are typically placed in the swale trench,
while in non-desert areas, it is typical to plant the berm

Step 8: Build Redundancy into the Swale System.

Always think about where the water will go if the swale overflows. Have
redundancy built in that can handle a 100-year rain event.

Step 9: Add Aesthetic Details (Make the Swale Pretty)

In residential spaces, aesthetics are often an important consideration. Swales can

actually be visually pleasing, although it’s hard to imagine a beautiful setting with a
trench running through the yard.

4) ADVANTAGES AND DISADVANTAGES OF SWALE

ADVANTAGES

 Easy to incorporate into landscaping.

 Good removal of urban pollutants.

 Reduces runoff rates and volumes.

 Low capital cost.

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  Maintenance can be incorporated into general landscape management.

 Pollution and blockages are visible and easily dealt with.

DISADVANTAGES

 Not suitable for step areas or areas with roadside parking.

 Limits opportunities to use trees for landscaping.

 Risks of blockages in connecting pipe work.

5). TYPE OF SWALE

WET SWALE

 Wet swale occur when the water table is located very close to the
surface or water does not readily drain of the swale.

 A wet swale acts as a very long and linear shallow biofiltration or

linear wetland treatment system.

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  Wet swale do not provide volume reduction and have limited
treatment capability.

 Wet swale may be used as pretreatment practice.

DRY SWALE

 Dry swale sometimes called as grass swales, are similar to

bioretention cells but are configured as shallow, linear channel.

 Dry swales function primarily as a conveyance BMP, but provide

treatment of stormwater runoff, particularly when used in tandem
with check dams that temporarily retain water in series of cells.

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 Dry swales with in-situ soils capable of infiltration, are considered
infilfiltration practices.

 Dry swale are designed to prevent standing water.

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