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is Buffalo’s green infrastructure program.
Officially launched in 2015, Rain Check aims to protect and restore the health of Buffalo’s waterways by addressing today’s most pressing water-related challenge—stormwater. This report describes what that challenge is, the unique role green infrastructure plays in addressing it, what we’ve done so far, and how we’ll take green infrastructure to the next level.
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Water is Buffalo’s greatest resource. Buffalo is an important part of the Great Lakes system where one-fifth of the world’s freshwater flows past our shores. For our people and businesses, water gives life to Buffalo. It is critical to our history and shapes our quality of life. In a world where water will only become more valuable, it is Buffalo’s greatest resource to protect in the 21st Century and beyond.
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Stormwater is the greatest challenge to the health of our water and green infrastructure helps keep it in check. Like all U.S. cities, Buffalo faces a stormwater challenge. Water generated from rain and snowmelt (stormwater) needs to be moved off our streets and buildings to protect health and safety. We typically do this by directing it to our sewer system, which is designed to discharge excess waste and stormwater into local waterways during wet weather. These sewer overflow events can impair local water quality by dumping pollutants and waste into our waterways. Green infrastructure keeps the stormwater challenge in check by absorbing, diverting, or storing rain and snowmelt where it falls. This prevents it from running off into our sewers and keeps harmful pollutants out of our waterways. The benefits of green infrastructure go beyond protecting water. It can beautify neighborhoods, create safer streets, save money, cultivate public engagement and education, and generate green job opportunities.
Keeping the stormwater challenge in check