WinSLAMM Training 2025

April 23-24, 2025 – 8:30 am-5:00 pm
Training will be held virtually via Zoom.
-We’re sorry, this Training is sold out. We are unable to add additional attendees.-

Registration: $500/person
Attendees will receive: Access to online learning materials, individual assistance as needed, and a Certificate of Completion

Wednesday, April 23, 2025

• Model Basics and Setting up a Model File
  Modeling Terminology, WinSLAMM Theory and Practice, Setting up a WinSLAMM Model File
• Setting Practices
  Reading Printed Input and Output, Modeling Considerations, Wet Detention Ponds, Catchbasins and Hydrodynamic Devices
• Infiltration/Filtering Practices
  Grass Swales and Filter Strips, Site Example Problem

Thursday, April 24, 2025

• Infiltration/Filtering Practices Continued
  Grass Swale Example, Filter Strips Example, Porous Pavement, Biofilter – New Updates, Street Cleaning, Proprietary Filter Devices
• Other Model Features

WinSLAMM was originally developed to better understand the relationships between sources of urban runoff pollutants and runoff quality. It has been continually expanded since the late 1970s and now includes a wide variety of source area and outfall control practices (infiltration practices, wet detention ponds, porous pavement, street cleaning, catchbasin cleaning, and grass swales). WinSLAMM is strongly based on actual field observations, with minimal reliance on pure theoretical processes that have not been adequately documented or confirmed in the field.

Special emphasis has been placed on small storm hydrology and particulate washoff in WinSLAMM. Many currently available urban runoff models have their roots in drainage design where the emphasis is with very large and rare rains. In contrast, stormwater quality problems are mostly associated with common and relatively small rains. The assumptions and simplifications that are legitimately used with drainage design models are not appropriate for water quality models. WinSLAMM therefore incorporates unique process descriptions to more accurately predict the sources of runoff pollutants and flows for the storms of most interest in stormwater quality analyses. However, WinSLAMM can be effectively used in conjunction with drainage design models to incorporate the mutual benefits of water quality controls on drainage design.

WinSLAMM has been used in many areas of North America and has been shown to accurately predict stormwater flows and pollutant characteristics for a broad range of rains, development characteristics, and control practices.

WinSLAMM is unique in many aspects. One of the most important aspects is its ability to consider many stormwater controls (affecting source areas, drainage systems, and outfalls) together, for a long series of rains. Another is its ability to accurately describe a drainage area in sufficient detail for water quality investigations, but without requiring a great deal of superfluous information that field studies have shown to be of little value in accurately predicting discharge results. WinSLAMM also applies stochastic analysis procedures to more accurately represent actual uncertainty in model input parameters in order to better predict the actual range of outfall conditions (especially pollutant concentrations). However, the main reason WinSLAMM was developed was because of errors contained in many existing urban runoff models. These errors were obvious when comparing actual field measurements to the solutions obtained from model algorithms.

Model calibration and verification has also been conducted through many years of joint effort of the USGS and WDNR, along with nationwide stormwater data as included in the National Stormwater Quality Database, and many other regional studies throughout the US.

Attendees will receive a Certificate of Completion for participating in this training.

Stormwater managers and engineers involved with site drainage design and discharge permit compliance, including consultants and municipal staff. The course will introduce the model and train how it is used for both small scale and larger-scale projects, focusing on setting up the model for specific sites and entering information describing the study area and stormwater controls. The course is suitable for new model users along with those with prior WinSLAMM experience. We will cover basic model use and also review enhancements to the newest version of the model. This course could also be useful to those who are currently involved in traditional drainage design and CSO modeling that would like to see how WinSLAMM can be used in conjunction with their studies, specifically flow reductions at source areas with infiltration stormwater controls.

Bob Pitt, P.E, PhD., was at the University of Alabama at Birmingham and then at Tuscaloosa from 1987 through 2014. Prior to that, he was a senior engineer for 15 years in industry and government, including at the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources. He continues to consult with many municipalities, consulting firms, and government agencies. Dr. Pitt has also taught workshops and was guest lecturer at several universities. He has taught courses in drainage design, water supply, hydrology, hydraulics, field sampling and experimental design, and a series on construction site erosion control and stormwater management. His main area of research is the integration of hydrology and water quality issues, especially related to urban runoff. Bob has published more than 100 chapters, books, journal articles, and major research reports and is a Diplomat of the American Academy of Environmental Engineers and is a registered engineer in the State of Wisconsin. He recently received the Lifetime Achievement award from ASCE/EWRI.

WinSLAMM is largely based on Dr. Pitt’s research, including his PhD work conducted in Toronto in small storm hydrology and sources of stormwater pollutants.

John Voorhees, P.E., P.H., has been a water resources, environmental, or stormwater engineer in both the public and private sectors since 1989. He has worked with the Wisconsin Departments of Natural Resources and Transportation as well as a consulting engineer for AECOM, JJR and Warzyn (in Madison, WI), and OTAK (in Seattle, WA). He has also taught, with Dr. Pitt, urban water quality-related workshops for the University of Wisconsin, the University of Minnesota, and the New York and Wisconsin Departments of Transportation.

John has written the software for WinSLAMM and WinDETPOND and developed many of the model algorithms. He also manages software distribution.