Education

Research Description

Stormwater management, and low impact development and green infrastructure

Honors and Awards

• William Neal Reynolds Distinguished Professor, 2015
• Blue-Green Innovator of the Year in NC, 2014
• American Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineers Young Extension Award, 2008
• Inducted into the Academy of Outstanding Faculty Engaged in Extension (AOFEE), 2007
• Governor's Award for Water Conservationist of the Year, NC Wildlife Foundation, 2007
• NC State Alumni Outstanding Extension and Outreach Award, 2007
• Outstanding Extension Specialist for NCSU and NCA&T for support of county programs from the NCSU Association of Extension Specialists, 2007

Publications

Evaluating the Hydrologic Benefits of a Bioswale in Brunswick County, North Carolina (NC), USA

Purvis, R. A., Winston, R. J., Hunt, W. F., Lipscomb, B., Narayanaswamy, K., McDaniel, A., … Libes, S. (2019), WATER, 11(6). https://doi.org/10.3390/w11061291

Field Monitoring of Downspout Disconnections to Reduce Runoff Volume and Improve Water Quality along the North Carolina Coast

Taguchi, V. J., Carey, E. S., & Hunt, W. F. (2019), JOURNAL OF SUSTAINABLE WATER IN THE BUILT ENVIRONMENT, 5(1). https://doi.org/10.1061/JSWBAY.0000872

Retrofitting a grass swale with rock check dams: hydrologic impacts

Winston, R. J., Powell, J. T., & Hunt, W. F. (2019), URBAN WATER JOURNAL, 16(6), 404–411. https://doi.org/10.1080/1573062X.2018.1455881

Evaluating the water quality benefits of a bioswale in Brunswick County, North Carolina (NC), USA

Purvis, R. A., Winston, R. J., Hunt, W. F., Lipscomb, B., Narayanaswamy, K., McDaniel, A., … Libes, S. (2018), Water, 10(2).

Hydrologic and water quality evaluation of a permeable pavement and biofiltration device in series

Braswell, A. S., Anderson, A. R., & Hunt, W. F. (2018), Water, 10(1).

Hydrologic and water quality performance of permeable pavement with internal water storage over a clay soil in Durham, North Carolina

Braswell, A. S., Winston, R. J., & Hunt, W. F. (2018), JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT, 224, 277–287. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvman.2018.07.040

Hydrologic performance of four permeable pavement systems constructed over low-permeability soils in Northeast Ohio

Winston, R. J., Dorsey, J. D., Smolek, A. P., & Hunt, W. F. (2018), Journal of Hydrologic Engineering, 23(4).

Performance of regenerative stormwater conveyance on the removal of dissolved pollutants: Field scale simulation study

Koryto, K. M., Hunt, W. F., Arellano, C., & Page, J. L. (2018), Journal of Environmental Engineering (New York, N.Y.), 144(6).

Stormwater management in nutrient-sensitive watersheds: a case study investigating impervious cover limits and pollutant-load regulations

Stillwell, C. C., Hunt, W. F., Page, J. L., Baird, J. B., & Kennedy, S. G. (2018), WATER SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY, 78(3), 664–675. https://doi.org/10.2166/wst.2018.338

The interrelationship of green infrastructure and natural capital

Chenoweth, J., Anderson, A. R., Kumar, P., Hunt, W. F., Chimbwandira, S. J., & Moore, T. L. C. (2018), Land Use Policy, 75, 137–144. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.landusepol.2018.03.021

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Grants

Pervious Gutter and Silva Cell Project-DeepRoot

DeepRoot(1/06/20 - 7/31/20)

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Pervious Gutter and Silva Cell Project-DeepRoot

Sponsor: DeepRoot

Start Date: 1/06/20

End Date: 7/31/20

Abstract

A pervious concrete and stormwater treating street tree treatment train is going to be installed in Burlington, NC. NCSU will be cooperating with the City on the installation, monitoring, and dissemination of the project. The site will be located in downtown and focus on water quality and hydrology. If successful, this tandem of practices could become one of the most popular in downtown retrofits in NC.

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Pervious Gutter and Silva Cell Treatment Train- Burlington

Burlington, NC(1/06/20 - 7/31/20)

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Pervious Gutter and Silva Cell Treatment Train- Burlington

Sponsor: Burlington, NC

Start Date: 1/06/20

End Date: 7/31/20

Abstract

A pervious concrete and stormwater treating street tree treatment train is going to be installed in Burlington, NC. NCSU will be cooperating with the City on the installation, monitoring, and dissemination of the project. The site will be located in downtown and focus on water quality and hydrology. If successful, this tandem of practices could become one of the most popular in downtown retrofits in NC.

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Monitoring Ailey Young Park Restoration

US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)(10/01/19 - 8/31/20)

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Monitoring Ailey Young Park Restoration

Sponsor: US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)

Start Date: 10/01/19

End Date: 8/31/20

Abstract

The Town of Wake Forest will remove a failing pond/dam, re-establish the geomorphology of Dunn Creek, and implement two floodplain wetlands at Ailey Young Park. NC State University (NCSU) will monitor the stream restoration and floodplain wetlands for 11 months and or 15 water quality storm events. NCSU will also analyze the data and synthesize the results in a final report to the Town of Wake Forest.

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Clean Little Alamance from the Y Up (formerly CLAM Project) (DEQ Task Order #7932)

US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)(7/18/19 - 8/31/20)

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Clean Little Alamance from the Y Up (formerly CLAM Project) (DEQ Task Order #7932)

Sponsor: US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)

Start Date: 7/18/19

End Date: 8/31/20

Abstract

Little Alamance Creek, which drains a large portion of the City of Burlington, NC, is a 15.9 square mile 303-d listed stream for poor benthic health. A 2014 Category 4B Demonstration plan was developed listing restoration and improvement goals of the watershed, including stormwater BMP retrofits for common urban water quality stressors. A 9-element plan (the Little Alamance, Travis, and Tickle Creek, or LATT, plan) was subsequently developed using the 4B as guidance and accepted by the North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality (NC DEQ) in 2015. North Carolina State University and the City of Burlington are proposing to partner and install a stormwater BMP at a city-owned site behind the Maynard Aquatic Center. The stormwater runoff generated by a parking lot and grassed area from this site drains to an open, grassed area about 125 feet upslope of Little Alamance Creek. The proposed BMP is a planted bioretention cell to treat and infiltrate the runoff. The bioretention cell be monitored for hdyrologic and water quality effectiveness. Efforts will be made to engage in public outreach via workshops, public signage, and any local news media on the retrofits. At least one workshop (on retrofits) will be held in the Burlington/ NC Triad area while another 1-2 workshops will be given across NC.

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Person Street Green Infrastructure Monitoring, WRRI UWC-SWMG Enhancement Project (Addendum)

Fayetteville, NC(9/02/19 - 12/31/19)

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Person Street Green Infrastructure Monitoring, WRRI UWC-SWMG Enhancement Project (Addendum)

Sponsor: Fayetteville, NC

Start Date: 9/02/19

End Date: 12/31/19

Abstract

In 2013, The City of Fayetteville contracted with North Carolina State University’s Stormwater Research Group in the Biological & Agricultural Engineering Department (NCSU BAE) to design green infrastructure into a proposed two-block street corridor restoration plan for Person Street in downtown Fayetteville. In September of 2014, the City was awarded a Clean Water Management Trust Fund grant to cover the construction costs of the multiple stormwater control measures (SCMs). As a result, the City and North Carolina State have been monitoring hydrologic and water quality two individual innovative SCMs to quantify their overall stormwater treatment performance, as well as continue to monitor two catch basins which drain nearly 50% of the project site to gain a large-scale perspective on the project’s environmental benefits. This modest supplemental funding request is in response to the numerous delays associated with getting the monitoring started. The project will finish by December 2019.

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Innovative Stormwater Management: Through Tree Cell Installation and Rainwater Harvesting Treatment Trains

Department of Energy and Environment (DOEE) (6/03/19 - 9/30/20)

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Innovative Stormwater Management: Through Tree Cell Installation and Rainwater Harvesting Treatment Trains

Sponsor: Department of Energy and Environment (DOEE)

Start Date: 6/03/19

End Date: 9/30/20

Abstract

NC State University Department of Biological and Agricultural Engineering (NCSU BAE) is collaborating with the University of District Columbia (UDC) to retrofit Langdon Park in Washington, DC with an innovative street tree and rainwater harvesting treatment train to educate local residents about stormwater management while improving water quality and runoff reduction at the park. This treatment train will be monitored for water quality and hydrology impacts. NCSU will be responsible for designing and monitoring the treatment train. NCSU will also analyze and synthesize all data. UDC will be responsible for constructing the treatment train and data collection.

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Optimizing Dry Swale Design for Water Quality Improvement

NC Department of Transportation(6/01/19 - 12/31/19)

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Optimizing Dry Swale Design for Water Quality Improvement

Sponsor: NC Department of Transportation

Start Date: 6/01/19

End Date: 12/31/19

Abstract

Swales are the most prevalent stormwater conveyance - and therefore potential treatment device - within NCDOT’s linear right-of-way. To date, swale performance with respect to hydrologic change and pollutant retention has been assumed to be modest; however, initial NCDOT-funded research on hydrologic condition (wetland versus upland) and check dam presence has yielded basic results that lead to some potential design improvements. To date, a comprehensive and systematic research program of post-construction swale performance has yet to be conducted. Because swales are such a common practice, small but defined design improvements could yield substantial improvements in runoff quality and quantity released to receiving waters. The purpose of this proposal is to complete the research outlined in the previous project #2106-18 entitled “Swale Design Optimization for Enhanced Application and Pollutant Removal” specifically the controlled plot trials. The remaining work entails the testing of multiple design parameters (i.e. length, channel slope, and channel shape) for dry swales in a controlled setting. The plots are located at NCSU’s Sediment and Erosion Control Research and Education Facility (SECREF) in Raleigh, North Carolina. By better understanding and predicting swale performance, and its various design configurations, NC DOT will be able to more efficiently manage runoff within its unique linear environment.

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Establishing Nutrient and Pathogen Thresholds for SCM Assessment and Revising the Rainwater Harvesting Model

US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)(7/22/19 - 12/31/19)

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Establishing Nutrient and Pathogen Thresholds for SCM Assessment and Revising the Rainwater Harvesting Model

Sponsor: US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)

Start Date: 7/22/19

End Date: 12/31/19

Abstract

This is a three-part project. NCSU, with some contractor support, will complete the following three tasks: 1. Establish a baseline from which to assess TN and TP removal efficiencies for stormwater control measures. 2. Create a 2- or 3-tier threshold for pathogen (indicator species) removal/sequestration. This will resemble the guidance provided for TSS as part of the current NEST program 3. A substantial update to the Rainwater Harvester Model that feeds the SNAP tool (or can be used independently). Work will be completed by a team consisting of NCSU faculty, graduate students, and a faculty member at Longwood University (Dr. Kathy Gee).

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FACT: Developing Data-to-Decision Pipelines for Agroecosystem Management through High-performance Computing and Big Data Analytics

US Dept. of Agriculture (USDA) - National Institute of Food and Agriculture(8/01/19 - 7/31/23)

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FACT: Developing Data-to-Decision Pipelines for Agroecosystem Management through High-performance Computing and Big Data Analytics

Sponsor: US Dept. of Agriculture (USDA) - National Institute of Food and Agriculture

Start Date: 8/01/19

End Date: 7/31/23

Abstract

The modern availability of novel data analytics and cost-effective high-performance computing creates unique opportunities to tap into the wellspring of potential offered by big data for creating decision-making tools that inform sustainable agroecosystem management. When coupled with climate, land use, and policy-related data streams through analytics, long-term monitoring data can be applied to develop data-driven decision-support tools designed for land and water resource managers, but foundational research is needed to develop such data-rich decision-support platforms. As a case study, this research will develop a data-to-decision pipeline for nearshore water quality management in support of shellfish agroecosystem protection. Shellfish growing areas are regularly screened for coliform bacteria to inform on-the-fly decision-making by regulators who are evaluating the sanitation of cultured shellfish, which has led to the accrual of a vast record of spatiotemporal bacterial observations. These national-scale data remain poorly explored and underutilized due to challenges associated with analyzing big, multi-scale data, but could be mined to develop critically-needed decision-support platforms.

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Evaluating Subsurface Gravel Wetlands

NC Clean Water Management Trust Fund(4/18/19 - 4/17/20)

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Evaluating Subsurface Gravel Wetlands

Sponsor: NC Clean Water Management Trust Fund

Start Date: 4/18/19

End Date: 4/17/20

Abstract

Subsurface gravel wetlands have produced favorable results in wastewater applications and initial promise in stormwater management. As of date, subsurface gravel wetlands have yet to be installed or monitored in NC. A sample installation of this innovative technology is proposed to be designed, installed, and monitored by North Carolina State University (NCSU), Kris Bass Engineering, and the city of Greensboro (city). NCSU and Kris Bass Engineering will be responsible for the design and monitoring of the subsurface gravel wetland. The city will review these designs and contribute funds to project implementation. NCSU will use the grant and contributed funds to acquire a contractor needed to construct the wetland. Monitoring (including equipment purchase, installation, data collection, and analysis) will be principally conducted by NCSU with cooperation from the city. The city will be responsible for maintaining the subsurface wetland and performing all inspections, post-monitoring. Project deliverables include production of reports, at least one peer-review journal publication, educational workshops, a technical worksheet, and presentations at two science and engineering conferences. If the practice proves worthy, NCSU will work with NCDEQ to add this technology to the state's Stormwater Design Manual and SCM Crediting Document.

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