Which climatic condition can significantly affect a collection system's performance?

Heavy rainfall can significantly impact a collection system's performance due to the increase in water volume that must be managed. When there is a substantial amount of rainfall, the flow of water entering the collection system can exceed its capacity, leading to potential overflows, bottlenecks, and backups. This can result in sewer surcharging, where the system cannot handle the excess flow, causing untreated wastewater to be discharged into the environment. Furthermore, heavy rainfall can also lead to infiltration and inflow, where groundwater or stormwater enters the sewer system, further complicating the management of flows and increasing treatment costs.

In contrast, while high temperatures, strong winds, and snowstorms can affect the collection system, their effects are generally less direct and less immediate compared to heavy rainfall. High temperatures can cause issues like dry conditions leading to the potential for blockages, but they do not typically result in sudden surges of water. Strong winds may pose risks to the structural integrity of surface components and create debris, but they do not usually affect the flow directly. Snowstorms can lead to accumulation and potential access issues, but they often manifest as melting snow rather than an immediate overload scenario like heavy rainfall does. Therefore, heavy rainfall presents the most significant and immediate challenge to the effective