Mike Hardin, Ph.D., P.E., CFM (Florida) presented "Optimization Analysis of Lakeland's Street Sweeping Program" at the Florida Stormwater Association's 2018 Annual Conference in Fort Myers, Florida on June 14, 2018.

The presentation was focused on a recent assessment of the city of Lakeland's street sweeping program. Mike's co-authors were Nick Hartshorn and Mark Ellard, P.E., CFM, D.WRE (Florida).

Mike is a water resources engineer based in Florida with more than 13 years of experience, including watershed assessments, hydrologic and hydraulic modeling, GIS data analysis, evaluating best management practices (BMPs), developing dam emergency action plans (EAP), and water quality modeling. He spent the first nine years of his career as lab manager for the University of Central Florida's Stormwater Management Academy field research lab. Mike contributed to the development of Bold & Gold pollution control media mixes related to green roofs, bio-swales, inline filtration treatment, side bank filters, and upflow filters. He is an instructor for the Florida Department of Transportation's (FDOT) state erosion and sediment control two-day course. Mike is a primary author of the Best Management Practices used for Treatment and calculations for Removal on an Annual basis Involving Nutrients in Stormwater (BMPTRAINS) Model, a water quality evaluation model accepted by the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (FDEP)  and all the water management districts in the state.

Mark is a Senior Principal Water Resources and Environmental Engineer based in Florida with more than 25 years of experience in diverse watershed management, water quality assessment, and stormwater design projects.

Nick worked as a graduate research assistant in the Stormwater Management Academy of the University of Central Florida, where he focused on developing and testing innovative BMPs for stormwater treatment.

Florida Stormwater Association (FSA) is a resource for stormwater professionals that provides five basic services for its members: training and education; technical assistance and information sharing; and advocacy and legislative relations.

Abstract

Street sweeping is a common pollution source control practice performed by municipalities to help meet National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permit requirements as well as Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) and Basin Management Action Plans (BMAP) requirements for improving the quality of stormwater runoff. Geosyntec Consultants recently completed an assessment of the City of Lakelands street sweeping program, including characterization of street debris and identification of factors contributing to nutrient content of street debris. This information was utilized to perform a cluster map optimization of the swept street segments within the City with respect to maximizing the mass of nutrients removed and minimizing program costs. Changes in routes and frequencies were suggested based on this analysis.

Additionally, a spreadsheet simulation model was developed to quantify the benefit of altering the street sweeping routes and frequencies. The spreadsheet simulation model was first calibrated using historical street sweeping collection rates as reported in past NPDES permits. The historical NPDES permit values showed good agreement with those predicted using the spreadsheet simulation model. Using this model, three different alternatives were developed with the goal of maximizing the mass of nutrients collected and maintaining existing costs. The first alternative utilized the existing program data except the site-specific collection rates and nutrient content values were used. The second alternative optimized the frequency of the City's existing street sweeping zones and utilized site-specific collection rates and nutrient content values. The final alternative developed new street sweeping zones based on the cluster map analysis, assigned frequencies based on the new zone "score," and utilized site-specific collection rates and nutrient content values. The results of this analysis showed that optimization could result in significant increases in the mass of total nitrogen (TN) and total phosphorus (TP) collected for the same or cheaper cost of the current street sweeping program.

This talk focused on the use of cluster map analysis and spreadsheet simulation models to optimize street sweeping by grouping street segments together and assigning frequencies based on land use and site characteristics to maximize nutrient removal. Estimates of mass removal based on current and optimized programs were also presented.

More Information

Learn more about the event: https://www.florida-stormwater.org/conference
Learn more about the event agenda: https://fsa.memberclicks.net/2018-annual-conference-agenda
For consultation regarding optimizing street sweeping programs, contact Mike Hardin at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Learn more about Mike Hardin at: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mike-hardin-ph-d-p-e-1a86b314/
Learn more about Nick Hartshorn at: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nick-hartshorn-9331708b/
Learn more about Mark Ellard at: https://www.geosyntec.com/people/mark-ellard