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What Happens to Stormwater in a Typical Detention Basin?

Water from the neighborhood enters the basin through the inlet,
carrying trash, pollutants and sediment from the ground.
Water flows rapidly into the low flow channel,
crossing the basin in the shortest possible distance.
Steep basin edges allow surface runoff to enter
the basin quickly and flow into the low flow channel.
Water flows quickly through plantings like turf grass,
whose shallow roots do not soak up or filter much water.
The outlet is designed to move water out of the basin 
quickly and into receiving streams.
Water discharges into the stream at the outflow. In typical basins,
water flows through the basin in less than a minute.