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Stormwater Drain Design: Rational Method, IDF Curves, and Peak Discharge

Although Rain GEO SAT's platform focuses on rainwater harvesting and groundwater recharge, stormwater peak discharge estimation is a prerequisite for sizing overflow structures, first-flush diverters, and recharge trench capacity. This educational page explains the standard Rational Method and Manning's flow computation used by CPHEEO and IRC:SP:50.

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The Rational Method

Peak discharge Q (m³/s) = 0.278 × C × I × A, where C is the runoff coefficient (0.75–0.95 for paved areas), I is rainfall intensity in mm/hr for the time of concentration, and A is catchment area in km². For a 0.5 ha paved plaza in Bengaluru with 100 mm/hr design rainfall: Q = 0.278 × 0.9 × 100 × 0.005 = 0.125 m³/s.

Sizing the drain with Manning's equation

For a rectangular concrete drain (n = 0.013), depth 0.4 m, width 0.5 m, slope 1 in 200: velocity V = (1/n) × R^(2/3) × S^(1/2) = (1/0.013) × 0.154^(2/3) × 0.0707 = 1.55 m/s, capacity Q = V × A = 1.55 × 0.2 = 0.31 m³/s — adequate for the plaza example above with 2.5× safety factor.

Relationship to rainwater harvesting design

Every RWH system must have an overflow drain that safely discharges rainfall exceeding storage capacity, sized for at least the 1-in-10-year peak discharge. Rain GEO SAT's Expert engine flags catchments where overflow drain capacity is undersized.

Frequently asked questions

Does Rain GEO SAT have an interactive stormwater calculator?
The interactive stormwater calculator is disabled in the current platform scope. This page covers the underlying formulas so users can size overflow structures manually or consult with our team.
Which IDF curves are recommended for Indian cities?
IMD publishes IDF curves for most metros. For Bengaluru, Chennai, Mumbai, Hyderabad, and Pune, 1-in-10-year 1-hour intensity typically ranges 60–120 mm/hr.

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