Patent ID: 7052206

Claim:
A method for reducing environmental impact of storm water flows, comprising: (a) providing a feed conduit for receiving storm water runoff and at least one outflow for discharging water; (b) providing a control structure which apportions water flow from the feed conduit between a bypass conduit, detention basin and treatment basin; (c) reducing a net peak flow of storm water runoff by use of the detention basin; (d) removing pollutants from the storm water runoff in the treatment basin; and (e) receiving storm water runoff flow from the feed conduit, and splitting the flow with the control structure between at least the detention basin, the treatment basin, and the bypass conduit, wherein a flow to the treatment basin is sensitive to a water level therein, a managed quantity of water flowing to the treatment basin until filled, and a remainder of the flow is split in a flow rate sensitive proportion to the bypass conduit and detention basin; and (f) discharging water, in at least one stream comprising an output from the detention basin and the bypass conduit, wherein the discharged water is, with respect to the feed conduit, at a reduced peak flow rate, and is treated to improve quality.