Great gains have been made to create buildings with increased economic, social and environmental value through design, energy and material improvements and efficiencies. However, the stormwater management has largely remained unchanged and follows the general collection and drainage approach that has been used for decades.
The undesirable effects from drainage-based stormwater management include increases flood risk and destabilized waterways, both of which require large sums of money to mitigate and manage. Additionally, precipitation flowing on impervious surfaces picks up pollutants (metals, salts, grease, sediment, bacteria, and fertilizer) and washes them into our waterways during the drainage process.
To and reduce the effects of urbanization and increased flows on receiving waterways, many communities are exploring Low Impact Development or green infrastructure techniques. LID focuses on structures and site design techniques that absorb the smaller, more frequent storms that are the majority of annual precipitation. These techniques include permeable paver systems, grass swales and buffers, and bioretention areas. LID design reduces the size of stormwater conveyance infrastructure and the amount of land that must be dedicated to a detention structure. Some developers have realized that LID design creates more buildable area and improves environmental, economic and social values on the developed property, which are marketable.
While the sizing and design of stormwater management infrastructure is the role of civil engineers, this presentation is geared for planners and landscape architects, as well as real estate and economic development professionals to better understand the role and value of low impact development techniques. |
