An infiltration basin (or recharge basin) is a form of engineered
sump[1] or percolation pond[2] that is used to manage
stormwaterrunoff, prevent
flooding and downstream
erosion, and improve
water quality in an adjacent
river,
stream,
lake or
bay. It is essentially a shallow artificial pond that is designed to
infiltrate stormwater through permeable soils into the
groundwateraquifer. Infiltration basins do not release water except by infiltration, evaporation or emergency overflow during flood conditions.[3][4][5]
It is distinguished from a
detention basin, sometimes called a dry pond, which is designed to discharge to a downstream water body (although it may incidentally infiltrate some of its volume to groundwater); and from a
retention basin, which is designed to include a permanent pool of water.
Design considerations
Infiltration basins must be carefully designed to infiltrate the soil on a given site at a rate that will not cause flooding. They may be less effective in areas with:
High groundwater levels, close to the infiltrating surface
At some sites infiltration basins have worked effectively where the installation also includes an extended
detention basin as a pretreatment stage, to remove sediment.[7] The basins may fail where they cannot be frequently maintained, and their use is discouraged in some areas of the
United States. For example, they are not recommended for use in the U.S. state of
Georgia, which has many areas with high clay soil content, unless soil on the particular site is modified ("engineered soil") during construction, to improve the infiltration characteristics.[8]
^Pekarek, Kathryn A.; et al. (2011).
Stormwater Management: Terminology(PDF) (Report). University of Nebraska-Lincoln. p. 7. EC701. Extension Circular.