STORMWATER MANAGEMENT
ment of the construction and maintenance of LID practices shows that, by selecting the appropriate practice and landscape design for the location and land use, LID does not increase maintenance requirements or cost. It is important to select the right design for the right location. This can be done through site visits and communication with operational staff. For example, municipal parks are maintained by municipal parks staff. Engaging parks staff when designing LID features can provide critical information. Credit Valley Conservation’s monitoring program has found that when park staff is familiar with the plants used in LID gardens, there is no increase in operational costs compared with conventional garden features. In cases where municipalities have implemented stormwater management rate systems, incorporating LID features into parks can be an incentive for parks and recreation staff. Operational costs for maintaining LID landscape features and permeable parking lots are generally paid through the stormwater rate, instead of from the park’s budget. In retrofit applications, designers are encouraged to see how the landscape will be used in order to select the appropriate feature and to design alternative spaces for incompatible uses. In one case, the location was an unofficial smoking area. Had a survey of the landscape been
Operational costs for maintaining LID landscape features and permeable parking lots are generally paid through the stormwater rate, instead of from the park’s budget.
which is detrimental to waterways. For more detailed information on specific sites, see www.BeALeader.ca and the Sustainable Technologies Evaluation Program (STEP) website.
SECURING INFRASTRUCTURE FUNDING Until recently, stormwater infrastructure was overlooked in asset management planning, despite its strong relationship to water and wastewater infrastructure. Credit Valley Conservation has developed a series of “Grey to Green Guides”. completed during the pre-design stage, These provide small, medium and large an alternative practice could have been municipalities and the private sector designed. with guidance on integrating stormwater infrastructure, including LID, into the LID WORKS IN THE WINTER asset management planning process. Monitoring stations are set up to moniIdentifying the economic benefit of tor changes in groundwater levels. Results climate change mitigation and adaptafrom seven sites show that LID features tion is the key to driving municipalities work in the winter. Water is still able to forward with an economic argument as infiltrate, reducing ponding and refreez- well as an environmental one. Municipaling, and keeping catch basins clear. For ities need to incorporate innovation in example, permeable pavement infiltration their procurement practices and to take is able to drain water in the winter at a rate into consideration life cycle costs, not just of approximately 1,500 mm/hr. This is the initial capital requirements. quick enough to drain water into the space between pavers, decreasing the potential Darla Campbell, P.Eng., is with The for water to freeze and form ice on the Ontario Coalition for Sustainable surface. This improves safety, reducing Infrastructure. Email: executivedirector@ slips and falls when compared to asphalt on-csi.ca. Christine Zimmer, P.Eng., MSc surfaces that do not drain and allow ice to (Eng), is with Credit Valley Conservation. form. This then requires application of salt, Email: czimmer@creditvalleyca.ca
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30 | October 2016
Environmental Science & Engineering Magazine