Delaware County, PA — There is far more to creating a quality residential development than grading a property and putting up homes. Conservation design looks at natural features, site constraints, and stormwater management — long before construction begins.

When Trilogy Investments bought one of the last remaining large parcels of property in Thornbury Township, they envisioned building 458 residential units on large lots throughout the tract–exactly what the township’s zoning allowed. When Trilogy’s President John Lynch saw that the township had other hopes and concerns–and was willing to be flexible in finding a solution that was beneficial to all–he realized it was a whole new game. The Cherry Creek cluster development became a model of conservation design that preserved woodlands, wetlands, and fields — and ended up holding 241 homes.

Says John Lynch:

I guess there’s a question of whether I’m doing this type of development for altruistic reasons or not. The answer is I’m not. First and foremost it’s a business. So normally when I  get involved in new projects, I look at them pretty analytically–what are my rights under law–and I then try to do better. When there are people on the other side of the table who share the goal of doing something better, so that there’s a win-win scenario, then it’s all green lights and I will pursue that with more vigor and more gusto than you can imagine…

The video is also available on the StormwaterPA YouTube Playlist and will be StormwaterPA.org with more project details soon. Check it Out and add it to your Site!

admin Low Impact Development buffers, clean water, environmental site design, flood control, infiltration, LID, non-structural BMPs, rain garden, rainwater collection, stormwater best management practices, stormwater runoff, water quality, watershed protection, wetlands

Green Infrastructure was a popular theme at this year’s VUSP Stormwater Symposium.  At the beginning of 2009, the EPA issued a bulletin on Managing Wet Weather with Green Infrastructure — which encompasses everything from preservation and restoration of natural landscapes such as wetlands and forests to the use of rain gardens and porous pavement.  This is clearly consistent with best management practices detailed in the PA Stormwater BMP Manual and the manual’s recommended approach to stormwater design.

To learn more about the Green Infrastructure approach to stormwater and wet weather management go to EPA’s web site.  There’s plenty of information available, including webcasts of a series of Green Infrastructure training sessions that were sponsored by EPA during 2009.  The first session entitled The Many Benefits of Green Infrastructure and Philadelphia Municipal Case Study can be viewed here.   To access all six training sessions go to EPA’s  website on NPDES Training Courses and Workshops.

admin General BMPs, environmental site design, green infrastructure, porous pavement, rain garden, stormwater best management practices, wet weather

Volume-Based Hydrology

We’re still digesting an important Andy Reese article in September’s Stormwater Journal and will continue to  comment in upcoming weeks…

As another way to lead into the issue, some thinking needs to be directed toward the concept of design storms which have been a driving force in most stormwater management discussions - really at the heart of peak rate management and flood control objectives.  Current PADEP guidance and regulations typically require pre- to post-development control of peak rates for design storms from smaller to larger storms, usually up to the 100-year storm; in recent years control for smaller storms such as the 1-year and 2-year storm has been added to achieve better stream and streambank protection.

These requirements continue, even as volume control (the PADEP BMP Manual recommends for up to the 2-year storm, pre- to post-development) is also achieved.

Obviously, peak rate control of large storm events such as the 100-year storm typically requires substantial storage and can be challenging  for design engineers to satisfy at development sites. Large numbers of detention basins have been constructed in Pennsylvania municipalities and beyond, often in environmentally sensitive areas and often at considerable cost, to achieve this performance standard.

Although peak rate control for these large storms has come to be accepted as almost a cardinal principle of stormwater management, are there situations where design for these large design storms doesn’t make sense?

Where we aren’t getting much bang for the buck?

• In any situation with tidal dominance, does it make sense to control peak rates for large design storms?
• And a step further, where sites of modest size discharge to large riverine systems, does the rationale for peak rate control become less important?
• If the site discharges directly or nearly directly to a lake where flood control is of no consequence and where no potential flooding impacts exist, does it make sense to spend the stormwater management budget on high performance water quality BMPs, rather than unnecessary flood control basins?

In sum, flood control achieved through management of large design storms is critical in Pennsylvania municipalities, but there may be important exceptions.

Make sure your municipal ordinance allows for this flexibility in the right hydrologic situations.

admin From the Editors BMPs, design storm, detention basin, environmental site design, flood control, LID, ordinances, peak rate control, volume control

Flexing the Infiltration Muscle: What’s the Role of ET? From the Center for Watershed Protection’s summer issue of Runoff Rundown: Runoff Ramblings. Has your state or locality flexed its “Infiltration Muscle?”  This seems to be a popular trend among stormwater agencies, with an “infiltrate as much as possible wherever possible” attitude. Some agencies have translated this concept into real regulations that require the infiltration of certain volumes of water at each development or redevelopment site (e.g., volume of the 1-year or 2-year storm, pre-development to post-development).  For some, this is a “back to the future” scenario with the “infiltrate first” edicts of the 1990s.  Contemplate the pros and cons of these infiltration objectives with the staff of Runoff Rundown.

Triangle Park New Stormwater Management Practices from The Pennsylvania Environmental Council.  The Pennsylvania Environmental Council (PEC) celebrated Rutledge Borough’s Triangle Park Stormwater Demonstration Projects at a green ribbon cutting ceremony 4 p.m. Thursday, July 16 at the park, Swarthmore and Rutledge Avenues.  PEC, as advocate and technical advisor on urban stormwater management across the state, worked with Rutledge Borough to install a rain garden and a basketball court that features a porous surface.  These state-of-art stormwater Best Management Practices (BMPs) installed during recent park renovations will help manage runoff, reduce pollution from entering nearby Stoney Creek, and minimize flooding in the area during heavy rains.  Find out how these BMPs are improving the neighborhood.

StormCon Keynote and Special Events from The Stormwater Journal’s The StormCon Blog.  StormCon is respected for being the nation’s largest conference and exhibition of stormwater-related products, services, and technologies. Anyone who has ever been to StormCon also knows there is much more: the sumptuous banquets are unlike any other, and, combined with multiple networking opportunities, make the entire event a joyful experience.  Get the juicy event details and sign up today!

RESI Completes Green Stormwater Management System at University of Minnesota’s TCF Bank Stadium from the Stormwater Journal. RESI (Rehbein Environmental Solutions, Inc.) completed the installation of the Environmental Passive Integrated Chamber (EPIC System) stormwater management system and Netlon Advanced Turf System (Netlon ATS) outside the new open-air University of Minnesota Gophers’ TCF Bank Stadium with the grand opening in September of 2009.  To maximize useable space, RESI created a multi-functional plaza that eliminates the need for a traditional stormwater basin. Designed and built into the attractive turf grass and landscape plaza are RESI’s Netlon ATS and the EPIC System.   Discover how it works.

Newark Sewer Workers Swept Away by Stormwater fromThe Star-Ledger.  Two sewer workers were swept away by a torrent of stormwater underneath the streets of Newark until a safety net caught them, authorities said. The incident occurred around 4 p.m. when workers were realigning a sewer line underground at 12th Avenue and 6th Street, said Fire Chief Michael Lalor. Supervisors ordered the crew to get out when they heard a storm was coming, but two workers never received the news, Lalor said.  Read more and comment on this narrowly averted stormwater tragedy.

Stormwater Equipment Manufacturers Association Launches Website from The Stormwater Journal.  The Stormwater Equipment Manufacturers Association has launched a new website - www.stormwaterassociation.com. The website contains information about the Association’s activities, membership, technical information, and a buyer’s guide. The buyer’s guide is a free useful resource for end users needing information about stormwater equipment and other services.  Find out more and visit the new website.

Upcoming Events

Center for Watershed Protection Webcasts: Stormwater Retrofitting - Wednesday, October 14, 12-2pm EST.  Registration is open.  It will focus on the restoration of urban and suburban watersheds through stormwater retrofitting. In particular, it will discuss the design and implementation of stormwater retrofit practices featured in CWP’s Urban Stormwater Retrofit Practices manual, which discusses retrofitting existing urban lands, such as parking lots, residential streets, conveyance systems, and landscaped areas. The webcast will also provide information about the cost and pollutant removal performance of stormwater retrofits.  Register here.

Also… Managing Stormwater in the Age of Budget Cuts, for free, in the archives, available to all.

2009 Pennsylvania Stormwater Management Symposium: Bailing Out Stormwater, October 14-15, 2009.  Hosted by the Villanova Urban Stormwater Partnership.  Registration Opens September 1, 2009.  The purpose of the symposium is to advance the knowledge and understanding of sustainable stormwater management for those dealing in all aspects of planning, design, implementation, and regulatory compliance. A  workshop for non-engineers will be held in conjunction with the symposium. Participants are expected to include Engineers, Planners, Water Resource Professionals, Regional, State and Local Government Representatives, Land Development Professionals, and Watershed and Conservation Groups. This is the seventh symposium on stormwater issues that has been held at Villanova.  For more information visit their website.

Reminders!

August 16-20 - StormCon, the North American Surface Water Quality Conference & Exposition

September 22-25 - Registration is open for the 2009 Watershed Institute! Space is filling up fast, so register soon!

admin Weekly News BMPs, environmental site design, flood control, infiltration, porous concrete, rain garden, stormwater basin, stormwater best management practices, stormwater runoff

The Chesapeake Bay Foundation released its 2008 State of the Bay report.  The report gives the Bay’s health a score based on 13 environmental factors, and it received 28 out of 100 last year, or a “D.” The bay had declines in dissolved oxygen, rockfish, crabs, and shad, though there were gains in underwater grasses.  Go to the press release.

The New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection has adopted an interim certification process for reviews of Manufactured Treatment Devices, and further adjustments to the review process may occur when the Stormwater Management Rules are readopted later this year. See the announcement.

Call for Presenters for the 2009 Pennsylvania Stormwater Management Symposium “Bailing out Stormwater” October 14-15 at Villanova University. Details.

“Achieving Results with Tight Budgets,” the 5Th National Conference for Nonpoint Source and Stormwater Outreach, will take place May 11-14 in Portland, Oregon.  Details here.

Rain Barrel Workshop with the Crawford County Conservation District.  May 13, 4:30 pm - 5:30 pm in Meadville. See flyer.

Blair County Conservation District’s Homeowner’s Workshop rescheduled to Thursday, May 28. Details.

Now that spring is here, make a visit to the Berks County Conservation District’s ‘Stormwater Best Management Practices Interpretive Trail’! Learn more an see videos on the installation of a porous concrete sidewalk and a stormwater inlet at their website.

We’ve added a new sources to the list of places we look for weekly update additions! The Temple-Villanova Sustainable Stormwater Initiative (TVSSI) combines the forces of the Villanova Urban Stormwater Partnership and Temple’s Center for Sustainable Communities.  Its focus is BMP demonstration, research, and outreach. Visit the site.

Another tremendous source of information is The Chesapeake Stormwater Network, which was launched last year by Tom Schueler, founder of the Center for Watershed Protection. Its mission is “to improve on the ground implementation of more sustainable stormwater management and environmental site design practices in each of 1300 communities and seven states in the Chesapeake Bay Watershed.” Visit the Pennsylvania page.

The Eighth Annual StormCon Conference and exposition is to take place in Anaheim, California this August.  “Early Bird” registration discounts end June 15.  See a description of program tracks here.

In Stormwater this month, you can read about “Stormwater Remediation in a Karst Watershed.” The article describes a case study in Kentucky, but as you can see from this DCNR map, it may have relevance for you in Pennsylvania.

admin Weekly News BMPs, Chesapeake Bay, conservation district, environmental site design, karst, Nonpoint source pollution, porous concrete, rain barrels