Storm Flow from First-Flush Precipitation in Stormwater Design

Regulations for mitigating nonpoint source pollution from urban areas often include a requirement for treatment of a first-flush depth of stormwater. When the stormwater treatment technology requires specification of a design flow rate, the first-flush depth must be related to a first-flush flow rate. This paper describes a methodology to determine the relation between accumulated storm depth and corresponding flow to a treatment device for small, urban watersheds. The approach uses the rational method under the assumption that the time-of-concentration is small. Intensity–frequency relations, expressed in the form of return periods and associated intensities, were determined using a partial duration frequency analysis of regionalized precipitation data. The results of the method can be used to determine the flow rate to a treatment device that will meet a specified return period for a first-flush depth. The method is demonstrated using 13 years of 15-min data from seven Massachusetts precipitation stations.