Representative Particle Size of Sediment in Storm Sewer Inlets

Abstract

Problem statement: The aim of this study was examine the representative particle size of noncohesive sediment samples collected from different storm sewer inlets in residential catchments within Kuwait. Approach: A number of 25 sediment samples were collected from storm sewer inlets located in five residential areas in Kuwait: Bayan, Al-Nuzha, Al-Feiha, Al-Andalos and Al-Rumaithya. All the impervious areas for the selected sites are hydraulically connected to the drainage system, including the roofs for houses which are piped to the roads with gutters and thus have pronounced influence on catchment hydrology. Results: It was found that the sample median and mean particle sizes vary locally within each site and spatially compared to others, while the mode is invariant for most of the cases. This result suggests that the mode particle size is more stable in terms of magnitude than the median and mean and may constitute a robust estimator for sediment sizes reflecting the similarity found in watershed characteristics. Conclusion/Recommendations: This is the first such study conducted in Kuwait on sediment samples collected from five residential storm sewer inlets were employed to examine the average particle size readily available for transportation into the conduit.