2008. Stormwater Ponds More Than Meets the Eye. NZESS Conference Paper.

Author

Mr Damian Young (BE Env) and Director Morphum Environmental

Abstract

Stormwater ponds are now common features of the urban landscape. They have been constructed to mitigate the adverse effects of development, to control flooding and to improve water quality. This evolution has now reached an epoch where hundreds of ponds are now dotted throughout Auckland and increasingly in other parts of New Zealand.

Ponds are designed to reduce flooding and accumulate tones of sediment, which often contains harmful contaminants that would otherwise negatively impact waterways and marine environments. In many ways they succeed in their design objectives; however it is becoming increasingly clear that there are unforeseen impacts of ponds.

This paper investigated the challenges that are faced with ongoing pond maintenance and summarises possible solutions for a more sustainable future.