ENVE Urban Systems Practice Exam

Using multiple LID types leverages different stormwater processes to improve overall performance. Each LID type excels at certain tasks—some promote infiltration and groundwater recharge, others detain and slowly release runoff, some filter pollutants, and others boost evapotranspiration. When you combine them, the system can handle a wider range of rainfall events, adapt to varying soil conditions, and provide redundancy if one element underperforms. The result is better control of peak flows, reduced runoff volume, and enhanced water quality compared to relying on a single practice. They don’t perform identically, and properly designed LID reduces flood risk rather than increasing it, since it spreads and slows runoff on-site using the existing rainfall and runoff, not multiple external water sources.