How alternative urban stream channel designs influence ecohydraulic conditions.

Streams draining urban catchments ubiquitously undergo negative physical and ecosystem changes, recognized to be primarily driven by frequent stormwater runoff input. The common management intervention is rehabilitation of channel morphology. Despite engineering design intentions, ecohydraulic benefits of urban channel rehabilitation are largely unknown and likely limited. This investigation uses an ecohydraulic modeling approach to investigate the performance of alternative channel design configurations intended to restore key ecosystem functioning in urban streams. Channel reconfiguration design scenarios, specified to emulate the range of channel topographic complexity often used in rehabilitation are compared against a reference 'natural' scenario using ecologically relevant hydraulic metrics. The results showed that the ecohydraulic conditions were incremental improved with the addition of natural oscillations to an increasing number of individual topographic variables in a degraded channel. Results showed that reconfiguration reduced excessive frequency of bed mobility, loss of habitat and hydraulic diversity particularly as more topographic variables were added. However, the results also showed that none of the design scenarios returned the ecohydraulics to their reference conditions. This indicate that channel-based restoration can offer some potential changes to hydraulic habitat conditions but are unlikely to completely mitigate the effects of hydrologic change. We suggest that while reach-scale channel modification may be beneficial to restore urban stream, addressing altered hydrology is critical to fully recover natural ecosystem processes.

Green roof storage capacity can be more important than evapotranspiration for retention performance.

Green roofs can significantly reduce stormwater runoff volumes. Plant selection is crucial to retention performance, as it is influenced by how well plants dry out substrates between rainfall events. While the role of plants in evapotranspiration (ET) on green roofs is well-studied, their potential influence on retention via their impacts on water movement through substrates is poorly understood. We used a simulated rainfall experiment with plant species with different water use strategies to determine the key drivers of green roof retention performance. Overall per-event retention was very high (89-95%) and similar for all plant species and unplanted modules for small events. However, for larger events, some species showed lower retention than unplanted modules or low-water using succulent species. Despite the fact that these species were more effective at replenishing storage between rainfall events due to their higher ET, they reduced the maximum storage capacity of the substrate, likely due to their root systems creating preferential flow paths. This finding has important implications for green roofs, as although ET represents the primary means by which the storage capacity of green roofs can be regenerated, if species with high ET also reduce the maximum storage capacity, effective retention performance is reduced. Therefore, we suggest that species selection must first focus on how plants affect storage capacity in the first instance and consider water use strategies as a secondary objective.

Can catchment-scale urban stormwater management measures benefit the stream hydraulic environment?

The potential for catchment-scale stormwater control measures (SCMs) to mitigate the impact of stormwater runoff issues and excess stormwater volume is increasingly recognised. There is, however, limited understanding about their potential in reducing in-channel disturbance and improving hydraulic conditions for stream ecosystem benefits. This study investigates the benefits that SCM application in a catchment have on in-stream hydraulics. To do this, a two-dimensional hydraulic model was employed to simulate the stream hydraulic response to scenarios of SCM application applied in an urban catchment to return towards pre-development hydrologic pulses. The hydraulic response analysis considered three hydraulic metrics associated with key components of stream ecosystem functions: benthic mobilization, hydraulic diversity and retentive habitat availability. The results showed that when applied intensively, the developed SCM scenarios could effectively restore the in-stream hydraulics to close to natural levels. Compared to an unmanaged urban case (no SCMs), SCM scenarios yielded channels with reduced bed mobility potential, close to natural hydraulic diversity and improvement of retentive habitat availability. This indicates that mitigating the effect of stormwater driven hydrological change could result in significant improvements in the physical environment to better support ecosystem functioning. We therefore suggest that intensive implementation of SCMs is an important action in an urbanizing catchment to maintain the flow regime and hydraulic conditions that sustain the 'natural' stream habitat functioning. We propose that stormwater management and protection of stream ecosystem processes should incorporate hydraulic metrics to measure the effectiveness of management strategies.

Inside Story of Gas Processes within Stormwater Biofilters: Does Greenhouse Gas Production Tarnish the Benefits of Nitrogen Removal?

Stormwater biofilters are dynamic environments, supporting diverse processes that act to capture and transform incoming pollutants. However, beneficial water treatment processes can be accompanied by undesirable greenhouse gas production. This study investigated the potential for nitrous oxide (N2O) and methane (CH4) generation in dissolved form at the base of laboratory-scale stormwater biofilter columns. The influence of plant presence, species, inflow frequency, and inclusion of a saturated zone and carbon source were studied. Free-draining biofilters remained aerobic with negligible greenhouse gas production during storm events. Designs with a saturated zone were oxygenated at their base by incoming stormwater before anaerobic conditions rapidly re-established, although extended dry periods allowed the reintroduction of oxygen by evapotranspiration. Production of CH4 and N2O in the saturated zone varied significantly in response to plant presence, species, and wetting and drying. Concentrations of N2O typically peaked rapidly following stormwater inundation, associated with limited plant root systems and poorer nitrogen removal from biofilter effluent. Production of CH4 also commenced quickly but continued throughout the anaerobic interevent period and lacked clear relationships with plant characteristics or nitrogen removal performance. Dissolved greenhouse gas concentrations were highly variable, but peak concentrations of N2O accounted for <1.5% of the incoming total nitrogen load. While further work is required to measure surface emissions, the potential for substantial release of N2O or CH4 in biofilter effluent appears relatively low.

From Rain Tanks to Catchments: Use of Low-Impact Development To Address Hydrologic Symptoms of the Urban Stream Syndrome.

Catchment urbanization perturbs the water and sediment budgets of streams, degrades stream health and function, and causes a constellation of flow, water quality, and ecological symptoms collectively known as the urban stream syndrome. Low-impact development (LID) technologies address the hydrologic symptoms of the urban stream syndrome by mimicking natural flow paths and restoring a natural water balance. Over annual time scales, the volumes of stormwater that should be infiltrated and harvested can be estimated from a catchment-scale water-balance given local climate conditions and preurban land cover. For all but the wettest regions of the world, a much larger volume of stormwater runoff should be harvested than infiltrated to maintain stream hydrology in a preurban state. Efforts to prevent or reverse hydrologic symptoms associated with the urban stream syndrome will therefore require: (1) selecting the right mix of LID technologies that provide regionally tailored ratios of stormwater harvesting and infiltration; (2) integrating these LID technologies into next-generation drainage systems; (3) maximizing potential cobenefits including water supply augmentation, flood protection, improved water quality, and urban amenities; and (4) long-term hydrologic monitoring to evaluate the efficacy of LID interventions.

The impact of stormwater source-control strategies on the (low) flow regime of urban catchments.

Stormwater management strategies increasingly recognise the need to emulate the pre-development flow regime, in addition to reducing pollutant concentrations and loads. However, it is unclear whether current design approaches for stormwater source-control techniques are effective in restoring the whole flow regime, and in particular low flows, towards their pre-development levels. We therefore modelled and compared a range of source-control stormwater management strategies, including some specifically tailored towards enhancing baseflow processes. The strategies were assessed based on the total streamflow volume and three low flow metrics. Strategies based on harvesting tanks showed much greater volume reduction than those based on raingardens. Strategies based on a low flow rate release, aimed at mimicking natural baseflow, failed to completely restore the baseflow regime. We also found that the sensitivity of the low flow metrics to the proportion of catchment treated varied amongst metrics, illustrating the importance of metrics selection in the assessment of stormwater strategies. In practice, our results suggest that realistic scenarios using low flow release from source-control techniques may not be able to fully restore the low flow regime, at least for perennial streams. However, a combination of feasibly-sized tanks and raingardens is likely to restore the baseflow regime to a great extent, while also benefitting water quality through the retention and filtration processes.

Factors that affect the hydraulic performance of raingardens: implications for design and maintenance.

Raingardens are becoming an increasingly popular technology for urban stormwater treatment. However, their hydraulic performance is known to reduce due to clogging from deposition of fine-grained sediments on the surface. This impacts on their capacity to treat urban runoff. It has been recently hypothesised that plants can help to mitigate the effect of surface clogging on infiltration. A conceptual model is therefore presented to better understand key processes, including those associated with plant cover, which influences surface infiltration mechanisms. Based on this understanding, a field evaluation was carried out to test the hypothesis that plants increase the infiltration rate, and to investigate factors that influence the deposition of fine-grained sediments within raingardens. The results show that infiltration rates around plants are statistically higher than bare areas, irrespective of the degree of surface clogging. This suggests that preferential flow pathways exist around plants. Sediment deposition processes are also influenced by design elements of raingardens such as the inlet configuration. These findings have implications for the design and maintenance of raingardens, in particular the design of the inlet configuration, as well as maintenance of the filter media surface layer and vegetation.

Co-optimisation of phosphorus and nitrogen removal in stormwater biofilters: the role of filter media, vegetation and saturated zone.

Biofilters have been shown to effectively treat stormwater and achieve nutrient load reduction targets. However, effluent concentrations of nitrogen and phosphorus typically exceed environmental targets for receiving water protection. This study investigates the role of filter media, vegetation and a saturated zone (SZ) in achieving co-optimised nitrogen and phosphorus removal in biofilters. Twenty biofilter columns were monitored over a 12-month period of dosing with semi-synthetic stormwater. The frequency of dosing was altered seasonally to examine the impact of hydrologic variability. Very good nutrient removal (90% total phosphorus, 89% total nitrogen) could be achieved by incorporating vegetation, an SZ and Skye sand, a naturally occurring iron-rich filter medium. This design maintained nutrient removal at or below water quality guideline concentrations throughout the experiment, demonstrating resilience to wetting-drying fluctuations. The results also highlighted the benefit of including an SZ to maintain treatment performance over extended dry periods. These findings represent progress towards designing biofilters which co-optimise nitrogen and phosphorus removal and comply with water quality guidelines.

Biofilter design for effective nitrogen removal from stormwater - influence of plant species, inflow hydrology and use of a saturated zone.

The use of biofilters to remove nitrogen and other pollutants from urban stormwater runoff has demonstrated varied success across laboratory and field studies. Design variables including plant species and use of a saturated zone have large impacts upon performance. A laboratory column study of 22 plant species and designs with varied outlet configuration was conducted across a 1.5-year period to further investigate the mechanisms and influences driving biofilter nitrogen processing. This paper presents outflow concentrations of total nitrogen from two sampling events across both 'wet' and 'dry' frequency dosing, and from sampling across two points in the outflow hydrograph. All plant species were effective under conditions of frequent dosing, but extended drying increased variation between species and highlighted the importance of a saturated zone in maintaining biofilter function. The saturated zone also effectively treated the volume of stormwater stored between inflow events, but this extended detention provided no additional benefit alongside the rapid processing of the highest performing species. Hence, the saturated zone reduced performance differences between plant species, and potentially acts as an 'insurance policy' against poor sub-optimal plant selection. The study shows the importance of biodiversity and inclusion of a saturated zone in protecting against climate variability.

Stormwater retention performance of tree integrated infiltration trenches designed for suburban streetscapes.

The volume of stormwater generated by streetscapes in cities is a primary driver of urban stream degradation. Large infiltration trenches can be integrated into streetscapes to potentially retain large volumes of runoff and increase growth rates of nearby trees. To test this, a field study was conducted where three structural soil infiltration trenches receiving runoff (12 m long, 0.6 m wide and 0.6 deep) were installed alongside a carpark in Melbourne, Australia, with sizing determined by space constraints in a typical streetscape. The three structural soil trenches had raised outflow drainage, which created internal water storage for runoff received from a carpark. To separate the effects on tree growth of i) the presence of structural soil from ii) passive irrigation into the structural soil, three structural soil trenches (6 m long, 0.6 m wide and 0.6 deep) not receiving runoff and without outflow drainage were also installed. Runoff capture, exfiltration, outflow and tree growth was monitored over 19 months. Only one system performed close to the design intent and retained 18 % of runoff, due to slow soil exfiltration rates (<0.1 mm h-1). Compacted soil generated pervious-area runoff that filled the structural soil trenches not receiving impervious-area runoff from the carpark. Tree growth near these structural soil trenches was poor (59 % relative growth) compared with trees receiving runoff from the carpark (112 % relative growth), due to a lack of drainage, emphasising the need for drainage of stormwater systems in heavy textured soils to promote tree growth. This study highlights that options for creating storage for stormwater in streetscapes have the potential to meet local runoff infiltration targets. However, meeting local runoff volume reduction targets will require alternative ways to reduce surface runoff.

Review of trace organic chemicals in urban stormwater: Concentrations, distributions, risks, and drivers.

Urban stormwater, increasingly seen as a potential water resource for cities and towns, contains various trace organic chemicals (TrOCs). This study, conducted through a comprehensive literature review of 116 publications, provides a detailed report on the occurrence, concentration distribution, health, and ecological risks of TrOCs, as well as the impact of land use and rainfall characteristics on their concentrations. The review uncovers a total of 629 TrOCs detected at least once in urban stormwater, including 228 pesticides, 132 pharmaceutical and personal care products (PPCPs), 29 polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), 30 per- and polyfluorinated substances (PFAS), 28 flame retardants, 24 plasticizers, 22 polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), nine corrosion inhibitors, and 127 other industrial chemicals/intermediates/solvents. Concentration distributions were explored, with the best fit being log-normal distribution. Risk assessment highlighted 82 TrOCs with high ecological risk quotients (ERQ > 1.0) and three with potential health risk quotients (HQ > 1.0). Notably, 14 TrOCs (including six PAHs, five pesticides, three flame-retardants, and one plasticizer) out of 68 analyzed were significantly influenced by land-use type. Relatively weak relationships were observed between rainfall characteristics and pollutant concentrations, warranting further investigation. This study provides essential information about the occurrence and risks of TrOCs in urban stormwater, offering valuable insights for managing these emerging chemicals of concern.

Developing simple indicators of nitrogen and phosphorus removal in constructed stormwater wetlands.

Quantifying pollutant removal by stormwater wetlands requires intensive sampling which is cost-prohibitive for authorities responsible for a large number of wetlands. Wetland managers require simple indicators that provide a practical means of estimating performance and prioritising maintenance works across their asset base. We therefore aimed to develop vegetation cover and metrics derived from monitoring water level, as simple indicators of likely nutrient pollutant removal from stormwater wetlands. Over a two-year period, we measured vegetation cover and water levels at 17 wetlands and used both to predict nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) removal. Vegetation cover explained 48 % of variation in total nitrogen (TN) removal; with a linear relationship suggesting an approximate 9 % loss in TN removal per 10 % decrease in vegetation cover. Vegetation cover is therefore a useful indicator of TN removal. Further development of remotely-sensed data on vegetation configuration, species and condition will likely improve the accuracy of TN removal estimates. Total phosphorus (TP) removal was not predicted by vegetation cover, but was weakly related to the median water level which explained 25 % of variation TP removal. Despite weak prediction of TP removal, metrics derived from water level sensors identified faults such as excessive inflow and inefficient outflow, which in combination explained 50 % of the variation in the median water level. Monitoring water levels therefore has the potential to detect faults prior to loss of vegetation cover and therefore TN removal, as well as inform the corrective action required.

Low-cost monitoring systems for urban water management: Lessons from the field.

Sound urban water management relies on extensive and reliable monitoring of water infrastructure. As low-cost sensors and networks have become increasingly available for environmental monitoring, urban water researchers and practitioners must consider the benefits and disadvantages of such technologies. In this perspective paper, we highlight six technical and socio-technological considerations for low-cost monitoring technology to reach its full potential in the field of urban water management, including: technical barriers to implementation, complementarity with traditional sensing technologies, low-cost sensor reliability, added value of produced information, opportunities to democratize data collection, and economic and environmental costs of the technology. For each consideration, we present recent experiences from our own work and broader literature and identify future research needs to address current challenges. Our experience supports the strong potential of low-cost monitoring technology, in particular that it promotes extensive and innovative monitoring of urban water infrastructure. Future efforts should focus on more systematic documenting of experiences to lower barriers to designing, implementing, and testing of low-cost sensor networks, and on assessing the economic, social, and environmental costs and benefits of low-cost sensor deployments.

Influence of green roof plant density and redirecting rainfall via runoff zones on rainfall retention and plant drought stress.

Green roofs are a promising engineered ecosystem designed to reduce stormwater runoff and restore vegetation cover in cities. Plants can contribute to rainfall retention by rapidly depleting water in the substrate, however, this increases the risk of plant drought stress. This study determined whether lower plant density or preferentially redirecting rainfall to plants on green roofs could reduce drought stress without reducing rainfall retention. Plant density was manipulated, and metal structures were installed above the substrate surfaces to redirect the flow of rainwater towards plants (runoff zones). Green roof modules were used to test three plant density treatments: unplanted, half-planted (10 plants/m2) and fully-planted (18 plants/m2), and two runoff zone treatments which were installed in unplanted and half-planted modules. It was expected that 1) green roofs with greater plant density would experience more drought stress (i.e., lower leaf water status), and 2) green roofs with runoff zones would show higher ET and hence retention compared with those without runoff zones, as water will be directed to plants (run-on zones), facilitating growth. Contrary to the hypothesis, evapotranspiration (ET) and rainfall retention were similar for half-planted and fully-planted modules, such that ∼82 % of applied rainfall was retained. While both vegetation treatments dried out the substrates before rainfall was applied, the fully-planted modules dried out quicker and showed significantly lower leaf water status than half-planted modules. This indicates that planting at lower density may reduce plant drought stress, without reducing rainfall retention. Installing runoff zones marginally reduced ET and rainfall retention, likely due to shading by the runoff zone structures reducing evaporation from the substrate. However, runoff also occurred earlier where runoff zones were installed as they likely created preferential flow paths that reduced soil moisture and therefore ET and retention. Despite reduced rainfall retention, plants in modules with runoff zones showed significantly higher leaf water status. Reducing plant density therefore represents a simple means of reducing plant stress on green roofs without reducing rainfall retention. Installing runoff zones on green roofs is a novel approach that could reduce plant drought stress, particularly in hot and dry climates, albeit at a small cost of reduced rainfall retention.

Water use strategy determines the effectiveness of internal water storage for trees growing in biofilters subject to repeated droughts.

Impervious surfaces create large volumes of stormwater which degrades receiving waterways. Incorporating trees into biofilters can increase evapotranspiration and therefore reduce stormwater runoff. Tree species with i) high water use, ii) drought tolerance and iii) rapid and full recovery after drought have been suggested for biofilters to maximise runoff reduction while minimising drought stress. Moisture availability fluctuates greatly in biofilter substrates and trees growing in biofilters will likely experience multiple, extended drought events that increase trade-offs between these traits. Providing an internal water storage has the potential to reduce tree drought stress and increase evapotranspiration. Two urban tree species (Agonis flexuosa and Callistemon viminalis) were grown in plastic drums with biofilter profiles. Three irrigation treatments were used: well-watered, drought with an internal water storage and drought without an internal water storage. Transpiration, leaf water potential and biomass were measured to determine the effect of biofilter internal water storage and repeated drought events on tree water use, drought stress and growth. Biofilter internal water storage improved water use and reduced drought stress for A. flexuosa, whereas C. viminalis reduced leaf loss but saw no change in water use or drought stress. A. flexuosa with biofilter internal water storage was able to recover transpiration to well-watered levels after repeated droughts, while C. viminalis experienced reduced recovery ability. It is recommended all biofilters planted with trees should have internal water storage. In systems with lower moisture availability a species with more stomatal control, such as A. flexuosa, is recommended. If selecting a species with less stomatal control, such as C. viminalis, the internal water storage volume needs to be increased to avoid drought stress.

Empirical evidence of climate change and urbanization impacts on warming stream temperatures.

Climate change and urbanization threaten streams and the biodiversity that rely upon them worldwide. Emissions of greenhouse gases are causing air and sea surface temperatures to increase, and even small areas of urbanization are degrading stream biodiversity, water quality and hydrology. However, empirical evidence of how increasing air temperatures and urbanization together affect stream temperatures over time and their relative influence on stream temperatures is limited. This study quantifies changes in stream temperatures in a region in South-East Australia with an urban-agricultural-forest landcover gradient and where increasing air temperatures have been observed. Using Random Forest models we identify air temperature and urbanization drive increasing stream temperatures and that their combined effects are larger than their individual effects occurring alone. Furthermore, we identify potential mitigation measures useful for waterway managers and policy makers. The results show that both local and global solutions are needed to reduce future increases to stream temperature.

Biofilters for stormwater harvesting: understanding the treatment performance of key metals that pose a risk for water use.

A large-scale stormwater biofilter column study was conducted to evaluate the impact of design configurations and operating conditions on metal removal for stormwater harvesting and protection of aquatic ecosystems. The following factors were tested over 8 months of operation: vegetation selection (plant species), filter media type, filter media depth, inflow volume (loading rate), and inflow pollutant concentrations. Operational time was also integrated to evaluate treatment performance over time. Vegetation and filter type were found to be significant factors for treatment of metals. A larger filter media depth resulted in increased outflow concentrations of iron, aluminum, chromium, zinc, and lead, likely due to leaching and mobilization of metals within the media. Treatment of all metals except aluminum and iron was generally satisfactory with respect to drinking water quality standards, while all metals met standards for irrigation. However, it was shown that biofilters could be optimized for removal of iron to meet the required drinking water standards. Biofilters were generally shown to be resilient to variations in operating conditions and demonstrated satisfactory removal of metals for stormwater-harvesting purposes.

Moving to a future of smart stormwater management: A review and framework for terminology, research, and future perspectives.

Stormwater hazards are a significant threat across the globe. These are continuing to increase in line with urbanisation and climate change, leading to a recognition that the historic paradigm of passive management using centralised infrastructure is insufficient to manage future hazards to our society, environment, and economy. The cross-sector Internet of Things revolution has inspired a new generation of smart stormwater management systems which offer an effective, cost beneficial and adaptive solution to enhance network capacities and reduce hazards. However, despite growing prominence within research, this technology remains under-utilised, in a large part due to fragmented and inconsistent alignment and terminology, obscuring the strategic co-ordination of research. We respond to this through systematically reviewing the terminology, practice and trajectory for smart stormwater management and developing a framework which can be applied to both coordinate and understand the existing research landscape, as well as identifying key research gaps for future development. We find that literature almost universally agrees that smart technology is, or will be, beneficial to stormwater management and that technology has reached partial maturity in terms of quantity management, although this has not yet transferred to water quality. However, research is dominated by proof-of-concept modelling studies, with limited practical application beyond real time control of large assets, individual pilot studies and monitoring. We recommend that future research explores and evidences the substantial benefits likely through expanding current implementation towards a coordinated, decentralised, and optimised catchment-scale approach.

Riparian buffers: Disrupting the transport of E. coli from rural catchments to streams.

High levels of E. coli and associated faecal microbes in waterways as a result of agricultural and residential land use can pose environmental, human health, and economic risks. This study aims to understand the impacts of land use, climatic variables, and riparian buffers on in-stream E. coli concentrations. Flow, temperature, and E. coli were monitored during three sampling campaigns within eleven independent catchments. These catchments have varying land use and extents of riparian buffer coverage. Results showed that catchments with predominantly agricultural and residential land uses (average = 349.7 MPN/100 mL) had higher E. coli concentrations than predominantly forested catchments (average = 111.8 MPN/100 mL). However, there were no statistically significant differences in E. coli concentrations between the agricultural and residential land uses. Riparian buffers appear to reduce E. coli concentrations in streams, as indicated by significant negative correlations between in-stream E. coli concentrations with the riparian buffer areal coverage (Pearson's r = -0.95, Spearman's ρ = -0.90) and the ratio of buffer length to stream length (Pearson's r = -0.87, Spearman's ρ = -0.90). We find that riparian buffers potentially disrupt transport pathways that govern E. coli movement, which in-turn can affect the concentration-discharge relationship. This reinforces the importance of protecting and restoring riparian buffers along drainage lines in agricultural and rural-residential catchments to improve downstream microbial water quality.

Selecting tree species with high transpiration and drought avoidance to optimise runoff reduction in passive irrigation systems.

Rainfall in cities can generate large volumes of stormwater runoff which degrades receiving waterways. Irrigating trees with runoff (passive irrigation) has the potential to increase transpiration and contribute to stormwater management by reducing runoff received by downstream waterways, but the stochastic nature of rainfall may expose trees with high transpiration to drought stress. We hypothesized that for success in passive irrigation systems, tree species should exhibit i) high maximum transpiration rates under well-watered conditions, ii) drought avoidance between rainfall events, and iii) high recovery of transpiration with rainfall following a drought. We assessed 13 commonly planted urban tree species in Melbourne, Australia against three metrics representing these behaviours (crop factor, hydroscape area, and transpiration recovery, respectively) in a glasshouse experiment. To aid species selection, we also investigated the relationships between these three metrics and commonly measured plant traits, including leaf turgor loss point, wood density, and sapwood to leaf area ratio (Huber value). Only one species (Tristaniopsis laurina) exhibited a combination of high crop factor (>1.1 mm mm-1 d-1) indicating high transpiration, small hydroscape area (<3 MPa2) indicating drought avoidance, and high transpiration recovery (>85%) following water deficit. Hence, of the species measured, it had the greatest potential to reduce runoff from passive irrigation systems while avoiding drought stress. Nevertheless, several other species showed moderate transpiration, hydroscape areas and transpiration recovery, indicating a balanced strategy likely suitable for passive irrigation systems. Huber values were negatively related to crop factor and transpiration recovery and may therefore be a useful tool to aid species selection. We propose that selecting tree species with high transpiration rates that can avoid drought and recover well could greatly reduce stormwater runoff, while supporting broader environmental benefits such as urban cooling in cities.