In the late nineties, Boston University (BU) studied several structural control measures or best management practices (BMPs) for removing pollutants from parking lot runoff on campus before draining into the Charles River. Engineering designs evaluated a bituminous berm system, an oil/water separator, a small detention basin, water quality chambers, and a grassy swale for the water to run through.
The final engineering study compared three systems, an oil water separator and grassy swale combination, a simple grassy swale, and a water quality chamber prior to discharge into the storm drain. The end result is that through years of monitoring and reviewing lessons learned, it is possible to cost effectively deploy similar systems elsewhere.