Walking along a stretch of Miller Avenue in Ann Arbor, Michigan, you’ll spot an eye-catching series of 16 rain gardens. The gardens were installed on the boulevard during 2013 road work. Curb cuts channel stormwater into planted depressions, where it is absorbed into the ground instead of burdening storm sewers.
The Miller Avenue demonstration project is part of a county-wide effort to promote infiltration landscaping in order to address major flooding issues and water quality problems in local rivers.
Like a growing number of North American cities, including Kitchener and Waterloo in Ontario, Ann Arbor charges a stormwater utility fee based on the percentage of impervious surface on residential and commercial properties. Property owners can get a credit by installing rain barrels, rain gardens and other measures.
The city website provides property owners with detailed instructions and advice on building rain gardens. Design assistance is also provided on a limited basis.
Stormwater is national news.Globe article highlights green infrastructure demo projects in the GTA, London and Vancouver that combine complex engineering, beauty and functionality to increase infiltration and green space in urban areas.
Who should pay for sewer backups? An insurance company is suing Chicago for its losses, saying that the city should have known its stormwater systems were inadequate for the weather brought on by climate change. Farmers' Insurance argues the damage from sewer backups was "completely preventable".
Worst of both worlds. Polluted aquifers and eutrophic lakes are becoming more common in Canada, due to increased flooding caused by climate change and greater urban development. “It seems like the worst of both worlds,†says environmental scientist Dr. David Schindler.
New report on stormwater legal issues.Report for Credit Valley Conservation Authority helps municipalities understand their legal liabilities in relation to stormwater in a changing climate. It discusses circumstances under which municipalities can be held responsible for flooding and sewer backups, and what municipalities can do to ensure they are meeting the required standard of care.
Guelph has $4.1 million annual stormwater shortfall “It has to be funded, otherwise we're all going to be flooded out in our homes,†says mayor. The city is considering user fees based on the area of impervious surface on a property, among other options.
Human waste contaminates Milwaukee watersheds.Leaking sewage pipes are contributing human fecal matter to Wisconsin water bodies. Some Milwaukee stormwater is 25% sewage.
Is it green infrastructure?Planted LRT lines in Toronto are being considered because of their aesthetic and cooling properties. What about runoff?
New York’s green infrastructure. The 2013 Annual Report details how $4.7 million has been spent on green infrastructure in New York City since 2012. Over 200 right of way bioswales and stormwater green streets have been constructed to date.
Useful sites
Open Tree Mapnow includes GIS maps of trees and other green infrastructure in Edmonton, the first city to be mapped in Canada. Crowdsourcing ensures accurate, detailed reporting, and the software calculates the economic and ecological benefits that are provided by the green infrastructure.
Credit Valley Conservation - LID. Includes guidance, case studies and tools needed to be a leader in implementing low impact development (LID).
TRIECA presentations online.Presentations from the 2014 TRIECA conference are now available online. Includes case studies and performance data on green stormwater infrastructure projects.
Walking along a stretch of Miller Avenue in Ann Arbor, Michigan, you’ll spot an eye-catching series of 16 rain gardens. The gardens were installed on the boulevard during 2013 road work. Curb cuts channel stormwater into planted depressions, where it is absorbed into the ground instead of burdening storm sewers.
