Infiltration basin

An infiltration basin (or recharge basin) is a form of engineered sump or percolation pond that is used to manage stormwaterrunoff, prevent flooding and downstream erosion, and improve water quality in an adjacent river, stream, lake or bay. It is essentially a shallow artificial pond that is designed to infiltrate stormwater through permeable soils into the groundwateraquifer. Infiltration basins do not release water except by infiltration, evaporation or emergency overflow during flood conditions.

It is distinguished from a detention basin, sometimes called a dry pond, which is designed to discharge to a downstream water body (although it may incidentally infiltrate some of its volume to groundwater); and from a retention basin, which is designed to include a permanent pool of water.