What impact can urbanization have on stormwater runoff?

Urbanization significantly alters the landscape by replacing natural vegetation and soil with impervious surfaces such as roads, parking lots, and buildings. This transformation contributes to increased stormwater runoff volume because impervious surfaces do not allow water to infiltrate into the ground. As a result, more rainwater flows over these surfaces and enters stormwater systems directly, leading to a higher volume of runoff compared to areas with natural vegetation.

Moreover, the urban environment often contains various pollutants, including oils, metals, and sediments, which are washed off these surfaces during rainfall and contribute to elevated pollution levels in waterways. This increase in both runoff volume and the concentration of pollutants poses a serious challenge for water quality management and efficient stormwater management practices. Therefore, urbanization leads to a situation where both the quantity and quality of stormwater runoff are adversely affected.