Stormwater Runoff Management Flashcards
7 cards from real CESSWI practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.
Read the first 7 Stormwater Runoff Management flashcards as text
Which stormwater management approach focuses on managing runoff at or near its source to mimic predevelopment hydrology?
Answer: Low Impact Development (LID)
Low Impact Development (LID) uses distributed, small-scale practices to infiltrate, evapotranspire, and reuse stormwater close to where it falls, mimicking natural hydrology.
A bioretention cell is designed to treat stormwater through which primary set of processes?
Answer: Filtration, adsorption, biological uptake, and infiltration
Bioretention cells treat runoff through physical filtration through engineered media, adsorption to soil particles, biological uptake by plants, and infiltration into native soils.
Under what condition should a CESSWI inspector recommend immediate corrective action for a stormwater BMP?
Answer: When BMP failure poses an imminent threat to water quality or public safety
Immediate corrective action is warranted when a BMP failure poses an imminent threat to water quality, downstream flooding, or public safety, regardless of maintenance schedules.
Which design element of a wet detention pond is specifically intended to increase sediment removal efficiency?
Answer: Forebay at the inlet
A forebay is a pre-settling chamber at the pond inlet that captures coarse sediment before it reaches the main pool, reducing maintenance frequency and improving overall efficiency.
What is the primary regulatory driver for municipalities to develop Stormwater Management Programs (SWMPs) under the MS4 program?
Answer: NPDES Phase I and Phase II regulations under the Clean Water Act
MS4 stormwater programs are required under NPDES Phase I (large/medium municipalities) and Phase II (small municipalities) regulations promulgated under the Clean Water Act.
Which scenario represents an illicit discharge to a storm sewer system?
Answer: Sanitary sewer overflow entering a storm drain through a cross-connection
A sanitary sewer cross-connection that allows sewage to enter the storm drain is a classic illicit discharge, introducing pathogens and pollutants into waterways.
When computing peak discharge using the Rational Method (Q = CiA), what units must drainage area 'A' be expressed in for the formula to yield flow in cubic feet per second?
Answer: Acres
In the Rational Method as commonly applied in the US, area must be in acres, rainfall intensity in inches per hour, and C is dimensionless, yielding Q in cubic feet per second.