What is the primary purpose of stormwater management?

The primary purpose of stormwater management is to reduce flooding, prevent water pollution, and manage runoff effectively. This involves implementing strategies and practices that help control the quantity and quality of stormwater runoff, which is crucial for protecting both human health and the environment.

Effective stormwater management addresses issues such as the overwhelming of drainage systems during heavy rainfall, which can lead to localized flooding. By managing runoff properly, stormwater systems can help to absorb and direct water in a way that minimizes the impact on urban infrastructure and local ecosystems.

Additionally, unregulated stormwater can carry pollutants—such as heavy metals, nutrients, and sediments—into waterways, adversely affecting aquatic life and water quality. Through effective management practices, such as the use of bioswales, rain gardens, permeable pavements, and retention basins, stormwater can be treated and filtered before it enters natural water bodies.

The other options, while they touch on relevant aspects of environmental management or land use, do not align directly with the core objectives of stormwater management. Enhancing aesthetic value, improving agricultural productivity, or increasing urbanization, while potentially beneficial in their own right, do not concentrate on the critical need to control flooding and water pollution, which are the fundamental goals of storm