Treatment Disposal of Urban Runoff Pollution from Road and Highways

Previous management efforts have primarily concentrated on reducing the risk of
downstream flooding to protect lives and properties. This is referred to as quality
control. Although this approach has proven to be reasonably effective in curtailing
flooding problems, it cannot mitigate the adverse impacts urbanization has on stream
habitat or increased pollutants export. In order to solve the current problem, a new
approach of managing urban runoff called 'control at source' (integrated approach) is
being experimented and its implementation in Malaysia is still in early stages. The
runoff treatments such as grassed swales, infiltration trenches and wet ponds are looked
into as possible treatment to the highway runoff of this project. The methodology of this
project will focus on the quality controls of urban runoff. From the preliminary findings,
grassed swale is proposed as the treatment for the highway runoff and its efficiency is
expected to meet with the standards set up by authorities.