NPDES Stormwater Training Institute _______ T Luke Owen, PG MS4CECI’s Post

Providence, RI is turning to trees to help battle the city's flooding problem. That said, they also recognize that make significant changes will also require grey infrastructure, green infrastructure, zoning changes and other procedural moves. One example found that the Woonasquatucket River Watershed was covered by 75% impervious coverage. In these cases, trees will not solve all the problems. #stormwatermanagement #civilengineer

Two of the oldest, densest major cities in America — Boston and New York — face an uphill battle when it comes to climate-proofing their sewer systems. And the cities have chosen two very different paths: Boston has elected to separate the combined portion of its sewer system so that sewage no longer mixes with stormwater during flooding events, while New York is betting on new, detached rain management infrastructure to relieve the burden on its combined sewers when it rains. Which is better? #stormwater #stormwatermanagement

While in San Diego earlier this week, I witnessed my first airing of a primetime stormwater TV commercial. It featured the city's work to alleviate issues with their undersized and overburdened stormwater network. Back at home last week, the Tampa Bay Times ran an article on recent high intensity storms that led to utility workers sleeping at pump stations to make sure they continued working properly to mitigate flooding across the undersized drainage network. This refrain is becoming all too common across the U.S. as commercial and residential development and changing rainfall intensities and depths have outpaced our outdated infrastructure. A recent study published at the end of August in Nature Cities by researchers at the University of Michigan does a great job summarizing the how and why we are at this point with our stormwater infrastructure: traditional design philosophy only considers stormwater at the individual parcel level rather than holistically as it relates to surrounding surfaces, pipes, rivers, and streams. The result is overwhelmed systems intended to connect and drain all the individual parcels instead back up and cause catastrophic flooding in areas far from the usual areas of concern - rivers and streams. The time has come to switch our design mindset to the interconnectedness of urban watershed dynamics and how watershed-considerate systems can provide the resilience we so greatly need. I’m excited about the work we’re doing to link and create smart watersheds – even retrofit existing ones – to mitigate flooding and reduce downstream erosion. From there, we can begin to address effectively treating these additional volumes of captured stormwater. https://lnkd.in/ezgNepyN #stormwater #stormwatermanagement #infrastructue #sustainability #SmartCities #innovation

When most people think of flooding they don’t think about the infrastructure required to convey the water. It’s one reason I am so excited about the awareness of Stormwater flooding being tied back to the systems transporting the water. As Jeffrey points out, the systems were never designed holistically, but rather parcel by parcel. Smart systems and holistic design will be transformational in managing water, our world’s most valuable resource. Yet even smart systems and holistic design will not by themselves solve the problem. Maintenance of the systems is ALWAYS required and must be part of the combined solution. Being a part of Oldcastle means so much more than just being part of a manufacturer providing infrastructure pieces. Oldcastle is working to bring the manufacturing, smart systems, and maintenance all together to offer a complete package of water maintenance. From manufacturing, to smart design, to maintaining the systems Oldcastle is your one partner to provide a complete end-to-end, full life-cycle of stormwater systems. #watermaintenance #stormwatermaintenance #stormwater #oldcastle

Atlanta has been working on an update to our #TreeProtectionOrdinance for over a decade. We were asked to present to the working group about 7 years ago, and then re-invited beginning of this month. Our recommendations are largely consistent- You have to take context into account. This means that in places close to MARTA Stations, you should prioritize more attainable housing. Zoning should allow more, and the TPO should be flexible to permit this. In areas not near transit, trees should be prioritized and zoning should bend to help save trees. In either location, stormwater is often in conflict with zoning and tree protection. Locations with higher flood/runoff concerns should have stormwater prioritized. To fix the TPO, we need to be working with all three of these ordinances together. Otherwise, people will just keep spinning their wheels with no progress made. Our whole presentation here: https://lnkd.in/etyyK3GQ

Milwaukee is wrapping up its third-wettest spring on record, yet all that water has resulted in only one combined sewer overflow--a remarkable achievement. Per the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: "One element helping the sewer system is the city's green infrastructure. It plays a big role in capturing rain where it falls and storing it, which in turn protects against flooding and excessive heat as well as improves air, soil and water quality. This will help the city better adapt to a changing climate and the heavier storms to come. Currently, green infrastructure around the service area can capture 144 million gallons of water. As more green infrastructure is built, it should hold exponentially more gallons of water." Milwaukee is a leader in stormwater management thanks to Milwaukee Metropolitan Sewerage District's visionary, comprehensive approach over the past 40+ years and it's only going to get better. MMSD has a goal of capturing the first half inch of rainfall (740 million gallons) with green infrastructure by 2035, and CIS is helping MMSD achieve that goal through the Fresh Coast Protection Partnership. https://lnkd.in/gfwVZhz9

Do you have 20 minutes? The 4th iteration of the WEF National Municipal Separate Storm Sewer System (MS4) Needs Assessment Survey has launched and we need your input! This one-of-a-kind #survey seeks to understand MS4 sector challenges, drivers, and needs. The results help advocate for closing the #funding gap, supporting the inclusion of #stormwater as an independent infrastructure sector, and providing data to enhance stormwater management programs, and more. ➡️ 🌧️💧Take the survey before it closes on December 31: https://ow.ly/xWvu50UauqT #infrastructure #waterpolicy #community

Tampa's rapid development, limited space for traditional stormwater systems, and strong storms, make underground stormwater devices an effective and practical solution to manage stormwater runoff. Specialized maintenance and vacuum truck services keep these devices, and stormwater pipes, functioning as designed to safeguard commercial properties from issues like flooding, damage, access challenges, and compliance fines. https://lnkd.in/gcBM9srq #dragonflypondworks #stormwatermanagement #tampastormwater #tampafacilities #facilitymanagement #commercialpropertymanagement

We are proud to showcase the UK’s largest sustainable drainage scheme in the latest issue of Current Magazine. The Mansfield Sustainable Flood Resilience project in Nottinghamshire is a pioneering sustainable drainage scheme with the potential to transform surface water management across the UK. This innovative blue-green infrastructure project, led by Severn Trent Water and supported by Mansfield District Council and Nottinghamshire County Council, represents the future of urban surface water management. Key features of the project include permeable paving to allow water to filter through hard surfaces, bioswales and basins to capture surface runoff, and rain gardens and tree pits to slow rainwater and enhance green spaces. Richard Walker of Environment Agency commented:  "This is a great example of adaptive investment into the retrofit of SuDs measures to manage surface water flood risk. We are working with Severn Trent Water, Fay Bull and her AECOM - Water team to understand how flood risk reduction benefits across Mansfield’s communities translate into eligible FCERM Grant Funding. We anticipate that learning from this will inform a near-future national guidance update that will better enable more surface water flooding schemes to gain access to grant funding." Learn more about the project by reading our case study here: https://lnkd.in/eUVf8qDN Read the full article on page 15 of the latest Current Magazine: https://lnkd.in/eTf-WJCD #BlueGreenInfrastructure #SustainableDrainage #SuDS #SurfaceWaterManagement #Mansfield