American Water Resources Association
Conveyance Challenges of a Large Bio-Infiltration Basin in the Mill Creek Sewershed
Presented by:
Billy Nichols & Farshad Ebrahimi
Philadelphia Water Department (PWD)
Monitoring, Analysis and Research Support (MARS) group
ABSTRACT:
Green stormwater infrastructure (GSI) is a critical component to Philadelphia’s efforts to reduce combined sewer overflows, and private stormwater management practices capture an increasingly large share of runoff in Philadelphia. These private sites often retain and infiltrate water from paved surfaces and building roofs. PWD is monitoring select sites to understand performance and assure compliance. One such private site is a large bio-infiltration basin located in the Mill Creek Sewershed which manages approximately 23 acres of impervious drainage area from a warehouse facility. The existing drainage network was retrofit to redirect runoff to this basin resulting in a complex network of control structures, inlets and pipes. Conveyance limitations were identified which prompted retrofits to the forebay, diversion structures and main conveyance pipe to reduce premature bypass to the mill creek sewer. Billy Nichols and Farshad Ebrahimi of the GSI Monitoring, Analysis and Research Support (MARS) group will share site specific findings and broader takeaways for improving GSI performance.
SPEAKER BIO:
Billy Nichols serves as a civil engineer in the Monitoring, Analysis and Research Support (MARS) group under the Office of Watersheds within the Philadelphia Water Department (PWD). The responsibility of MARS is to assess the performance of green stormwater infrastructure (GSI) in the City of Philadelphia to improve system function and inform planning and design to meet the City's Combined Sewer Overflow (CSO) Long-Term Control Plan (LTCP) known as Green City, Clean Waters. Prior to PWD, Billy served as a graduate research assistant with the Villanova Urban Stormwater Partnership at Villanova University. Research experience involved monitoring and maintaining intensive instrumentation systems at three green stormwater infrastructure sites in the City of Philadelphia. Research topic focused on modeling an operational urban rain garden to optimize performance. Billy worked for four years as a consulting engineer with Greeley and Hansen LLC and maintains professional engineering licenses in Illinois and Pennsylvania. Consulting experience includes secondary treatment design, nutrient master planning, odor control design, combined and sanitary sewer overflow investigations, consent decree negotiation assistance, hydraulic modeling, lift station design, and hazardous material investigation.
Farshad Ebrahimi is a data scientist in the Monitoring, Analysis, and Research Support (MARS) group within the Office of Watersheds at PWD. He manages databases, analyzes large datasets related to green stormwater infrastructure (GSI) monitoring, and provides data-driven insights on GSI performance to program stakeholders. Ebrahimi holds a bachelor's degree in chemical engineering from Sharif University of Technology in Iran and a master’s degree in civil engineering from the University of South Florida, Tampa. Before joining PWD, he conducted research on the partitioning behavior of PFAS in sewage solids at Temple University in Philadelphia. His professional interests lie at the intersection of environmental engineering and data science, where he has contributed to various projects addressing both water quality and quantity across groundwater, wastewater, and stormwater systems.
Engineers:
This seminar does qualify for 1.0 Professional Development Hour (PDH). A Certificate of Attendance will be available for AWRA-PMAS members only. The meeting price for non-members who wish to receive a Certificate of Attendance for the PDH is $10.00 ($3.00 for meeting + $7.00 for certificate).
Please note:
Thank you!