LCA study of storm water management systems

The main goal of applying LCA studies in storm water management is to make choice between solutions offered by classic rainwater drainage systems with predominantly transport function and underground collectors usage and solutions with SUDS elements application, achieving flow regulation and the total volume of surface runoff reduction, in addition to transport function. The difficulties in the LCA studies is how to make the proper choice of a unique functional unit for the comparison of variant solutions in runoff management. Namely, the comparable variants and the unique functional unit means that for all of them the the primary goal of the rainwater management system, namely prevention of flooding in the catchment limits for the adopted safety level the is satisfied. The paper provides an overview of typical input data required for the application of various LCA studies in stormwater runoff management. Namely, LCA methodologies for evaluating variants of design solutions are in common use in modern design and management practice.