Where there’s standing water, there is a substantial risk for both pollutants to accumulate (if the water is not properly managed or siphoned) and for vector-borne issues and illnesses to develop over time. But as our urban and suburban neighborhoods have continued to grow through the decades, the need to properly divert, store and dispose of water has also increased—and water retention ponds have become an integral part of our civic infrastructure.

Especially in wetter climates, with more abundant rainfall, there is often more run-off water than local and regional stormwater drains and city sewage systems can manage. When this is the case, water overflow must be rerouted and stored in wet basins or retention ponds, where the excess water can gradually be accumulated, treated and released gradually in a safe manner back into the greater environment.