Metro Boston Stormwater Low Impact Development Capacity Building
Metro Boston Stormwater / Low Impact Development Capacity Building Project Lexington & Wakefield 1 st Workshop - February 7, 2007 Wakefield Town Hall Slide show prepared by: Metropolitan Area Planning Council With funding provided by Massachusetts Office of Coastal Zone Management
Reasons for Stormwater Management: IMPACT OF DEVELOPMENT Typical pre-development conditions: Runoff = 10% Infiltration = 50%
Reasons for Stormwater Management: IMPACT OF DEVELOPMENT Typical post-development conditions: Runoff = 55% Infiltration = 15%
Reasons for Stormwater Management: • Stormwater quality • Stormwater quantity – flooding • Groundwater – recharge • National Pollution Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) requirements
STORMWATER MANAGEMENT POLICY • Clean Water Act (CWA) – Phase II • National Pollution Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) - Phase II Objectives
STORMWATER MANAGEMENT PROGRAM (Phase II): 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. Public Education & Outreach Public Involvement Illicit Discharge Detection & Elimination Construction Site Stormwater Runoff Control Post Construction Stormwater Management For New Development and Redevelopment 6. Pollution Prevention / Good Housekeeping For Municipal Operations
STORMWATER MANAGEMENT PROGRAM (Phase II): • Zoning, subdivision, site plan review, and other existing permitting processes • Stormwater bylaws / ordinances and regulations • Inspection and enforcement activities • System inventory / mapping • Operations and maintenance • Capital projects • Project administration • Funding (e. g. Stormwater Utility)
What is Low Impact Development? • Comprehensive, landscape-based approach to sustainable development • Set of strategies to maintain existing natural systems, hydrology, ecology • Cost-effective, flexible approach based on a toolkit of simple techniques • Collection of practices that have been implemented nationwide
What is Low Impact Development? • NOT rocket science • NOT formulaic • NOT the answer to every challenge • NOT yet finished evolving • NOT common in Massachusetts
WHY DO WE NEED LOW IMPACT DEVELOPMENT? Conventional strategies aren’t working • Increased runoff & decreased recharge • Loss of vegetation and wildlife habitat • Loss of community character • Polluted waterways • Cost of development
LID PRINCIPLES 1. Work with the existing landscape 2. Focus on prevention 3. Practice micromanagement 4. Emphasize simplicity 5. Practice multi-tasking 6. Maintain and sustain
LID PRINCIPLES 1. Use existing natural systems as the integrating framework for site planning • Land use planning and watershed planning • Identify environmentally sensitive resources: wetlands, mature trees, slopes, drainageways, permeable soils, waterway buffers • Assess existing hydrology • Define a development envelope
LID PRINCIPLES 2. Focus on prevention • Minimize clearing and grading • Cluster buildings and reduce building footprints • Reduce road widths, use shared driveways, reduce parking area • Align roads to minimize impact • Use green rooftops • Use permeable paving
LID PRINCIPLES 3. Treat stormwater close to the source • Create subwatersheds and “micromanage” runoff in a treatment train of small structures • Flatten slopes, lengthen flow paths, maximize sheet flow • Maintain natural flow paths, use open drainage • Use LID techniques to manage frequent, low-intensity storms
LID PRINCIPLES 4. Emphasize simple, nonstructural, low-tech, low-cost methods • Open drainage systems and filter strips • Disconnection of roof runoff • Rain barrels • Street sweeping • Public education • Reduce construction disturbance • Minimize lawn area
LID PRINCIPLES 5. Create a multifunctional landscape • Use stormwater management components that provide filtration, treatment, and infiltration. • Provide open space and wildlife habitat. • Store water for landscape use • Reduce heat island effect • Enhance site aesthetics
LID PRINCIPLES 6. Maintain and sustain • Reduce use of pesticides and fertilizers. • Use drought-resistant plants. • Maintain rain gardens and bioretention areas. • Provide adequate funding for public works departments
LID STRATEGIES • Low impact site design • Stormwater Management • Buildings and Roadways • Roadways and Parking Areas • Permeable paving • Bioretention • Vegetated Swales • Rain Barrels and Cisterns • Green Roof Systems
LID STRATEGIES Low Impact Site Design Conservation • Conservation of natural hydrology, trees, vegetation • Stream & wetland buffers • Minimize impervious surfaces Typical Subdivision • Stormwater micromanagement • Ecological landscaping
LID STRATEGIES Low Impact Site Design Stormwater Management • Minimize directly connected impervious area • Create multiple sub-watersheds • Increase time of concentration • Use a “treatment train” of LID techniques to deal with frequent, lowintensity storms.
LID STRATEGIES Low Impact Site Design Buildings and Roadways • Cluster buildings within the development envelope • Design buildings with smaller footprints • Roadways should follow existing grades. • Use parking structures • Separate parking areas
LID STRATEGIES Roadways and Parking Areas Road Profile • Narrower roadways (18 -24 feet) • Permeable parking lanes • Open section roadways • Alternative curb designs
LID STRATEGIES Roadways and Parking Areas Alternative Turnarounds • Smaller cul-de-sacs • Bioretention islands • One-way-loops • Hammerhead turnarounds
LID STRATEGIES Roadways and Parking Areas Parking Lots • Create multiple small lots • Allow shared parking • Reduce requirements near transit • Require compact spaces • Set parking maximums
LID STRATEGIES Permeable Paving Applications • Parking stalls • Overflow parking • Driveways • Walkways and plazas
LID STRATEGIES Bioretention Treatment, retention, infiltration, landscaping • Excavation filled with engineered soil mix • Herbaceous perennials, shrubs, trees • Ponded water infiltrates within 72 hours • Overflow outlet and optional underdrain
LID STRATEGIES Bioretention Applications • Parking lot islands • Median strips • Rooftop runoff
LID STRATEGIES Vegetated Swales Conveyance, treatment, infiltration • Roadside swales “country drainage” • Parking lots • Low-angle slopes only • Opportunity for snow storage
LID STRATEGIES Vegetated Swales Conveyance, treatment, infiltration
LID STRATEGIES Rain Barrels and Cisterns Runoff Reduction and Water Conservation • Downspouts directed to tanks or barrels • 50 – 50, 000 gallons • Excess diverted to drywell or rain garden • Landscaping, car washing, other nonpotable uses
LID STRATEGIES Rain Barrels and Cisterns Runoff Reduction and Water Conservation
LID STRATEGIES Green Roof Systems Runoff Reduction, Reduce Heating/Cooling Costs • Rainwater stored in a lightweight engineered soil medium • Hardy, droughtresistant vegetation • Reduce runoff by 50% • Not for use in stressed basins
LID STRATEGIES Green Roof Systems Applications
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