Benefit–Cost Analyses Guidebook for Airport Stormwater

Many airports undertake stormwater projects to accommodate facility expansion, address obsolescence, and respond to evolving regulatory requirements. Often, stormwater infrastructure is installed or upgraded on a project-by-project and piecemeal basis, resulting in mismatches of sizes, material types, ages, and conditions.

When airports are considering expanding or improving their stormwater facilities, the immediate need for stormwater infrastructure modification may not be clear, and a benefit–cost analysis (BCA) is needed.

The TRB Airport Cooperative Research Program's ACRP Research Report 208: Benefit–Cost Analyses Guidebook for Airport Stormwater provides guidance on using BCAs to identify, evaluate, and select airport stormwater management projects. The guidance focuses on a triple bottom line approach that considers an airport’s finances and environmental and societal impacts. The guidance will be particularly helpful for small airports that may not have BCA expertise or experience with innovative stormwater projects.