The Effect of Converting Combined Sewer Catchments to Separate Sewer Catchments

The overall objective of this paper is to contribute to the standing debate concerning the advantages of separate sewer systems compared to traditional combined sewers. By a case study this investigation reveals that a transformation of one fourth of a given total area from being combined to become separate sewer catchments decreases the amounts of storm water and pollutants diverted to the waste water treatment plant (WWTP) or as combined sewer overflows (CSO). But this happens at the expense of an increase in amounts of storm water and pollutants diverted to local receiving waters when detention ponds are not built-in the new separate sewer systems. If a total catchment area transformation – instead of only one fourth – is put through, the consequences could be fatal for receiving waters if no retention of pollutants is integrated in such a transformation