Project Team
Students
Katherine Eimer
Civil Engineering
Harrisburg
Faculty Mentors
Shirley Clark
Harrisburg
Civil Engineering
Project
Project Video
Project Abstract
Name: Katherine Eimer
Campus Affiliation: Penn State Harrisburg
Major: Civil Engineering
Anticipated Graduation Date: May 2026
Faculty Advisor: Shirley Clark (Penn State Harrisburg)
Project Title: Using Historical Stormwater Control Measure Performance Data to Predict Behavior Under Climate Change
This project focuses on the effects of climate change and how it will affect proper management and treatment of stormwater. Traditionally, the design parameters for stormwater control measures (SCM’s) have been based on a static climate. However, modern research has concluded that climate change will majorly alter the frequency, depth, and intensity of rainfall; It will become less frequent yet more intense. This study seeks to evaluate the effectiveness of existing SCMs at treating common pollutants during high-intensity storms. To evaluate the effectiveness, influent/effluent pollutant data and rainfall depth data was extracted from the International Stormwater BMP Database. This data was then analyzed as percent removal as a function of rainfall depth. Findings of this study suggest that assumed correlations between pollutants could be inaccurate under current conditions. Additionally, the findings suggest that scour becomes a major concern in BMPs that do not contain standing water. Future work includes further analyzing assumed correlations between pollutants, expanding BMP types to include more that are vulnerable to scour, and exploring percent removal as a function of rainfall intensity.
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