Historical Development of Wet-Weather Flow Management

Abstract

The management of wet-weather flow (WWF) is necessary to maintain the quality of urban water resources. Throughout history, strategies have been implemented to control WWF for many reasons, including flood and water quality control, aesthetic improvement, waste removal, and others. A comprehensive literature review has been conducted to determine past strategies and to revisit the historical developments of WWF management. Understanding these past strategies and the development of WWF-management systems over time will aid current and future generations in their WWF-management efforts. This paper summarizes the historical literature review, highlighting the development of WWF management from ancient times to the present. The relationship between past developments, the current state, and the future of WWF management is addressed by identifying several lessons learned.