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2015 Ohio Stormwater Conference: Green Infrastructure Uses and Funding

Krystal Paisley

May 7, 2015

The 2015 Ohio Stormwater Conference is underway! This is a great time to look at green infrastructure, and explore what you can do to promote clean water in your community. If you’re looking for the answer to the 2015 Ohio Stormwater Conference trivia question, it can be found in this post!

 

 

What is green infrastructure?

There is a lot of talk about it, but what exactly is green infrastructure? According to the EPA:

 

“Green infrastructure uses vegetation, soils, and natural processes to manage water and create healthier urban environments. At the scale of a city or county, green infrastructure refers to the patchwork of natural areas that provides habitat, flood protection, cleaner air, and cleaner water. At the scale of a neighborhood or site, green infrastructure refers to stormwater management systems that mimic nature by soaking up and storing water.”

 

Utilization of green infrastructure benefits the area communities and the overall environment, providing substantially greater benefits than typical gray infrastructure. Examples of green infrastructure projects include rain gardens, urban tree canopies, permeable pavements, green streets and alleys, bioretention basins, and green roofs.

Implementing Green Infrastructure in Ohio and Beyond

So you’re interested in a green infrastructure project. Where should you begin? Undertaking a green infrastructure project may seem like a daunting and expensive task, but there are resources and funding available to assist in your next project.

 

  1. Alternative Stormwater Infrastructure Loan Program
    This program offers below-market rate loans for the assistance in funding the design and construction of green infrastructure as part of economic development projects in Ohio. One of the main objectives of this program is to reduce the cost to businesses and communities that need to minimize financial and environmental impact of stormwater runoff.
  2. Ohio EPA Stormwater Program
    A resource for forms, permits, and regulations on stormwater management in the state of Ohio.
  3. EPA Green Infrastructure Resources
    The Environmental Protection Agency has a wealth of information on green infrastructure. There are resources available on planning, building, and maintaining your green infrastructure project. Also, they have various information on national funding opportunities.

How much runoff does one home generate?

During the Ohio Stormwater Conference, ms is posing an interesting question to attendees: during just one inch of rainfall, how much stormwater runoff does the average home produce?

 

The basic stormwater runoff your home creates also flows into nearby streams and rivers. If pollutants, such as debris, household chemicals, and bacteria, are present, this water can destroy aquatic life and ultimately be detrimental to public health. But really, how much stormwater runoff does your home actually create? The answer may surprise you.

 

A whopping 8,346 gallons of stormwater runoff with just one inch of rain! And Columbus, Ohio receives an average of 56 inches of rainfall per year. This means that over the course of just one year, a single home generates 303,632 gallons of runoff!

 

What can you do to minimize your impact? The Ohio EPA has a great list of stormwater management tips that you can implement at home. If you have stormwater management tips and tricks of your own, please leave them in the comments section below!

About the 2015 Ohio Stormwater Conference

The annual Ohio Stormwater Conference is dedicated to advancing the knowledge of stormwater management for those involved in planning through implementation. This multi-day event provides professionals with updates on environmental issues, new technologies, regulatory information, pollution prevention and more. This year’s conference is being held May 6-8 in Sandusky, Ohio. Visit the Ohio Stormwater Conference website for more details.

 

Did you attend the conference? Email kpaisley@msconsultants.com with the answer to the question on your brochure. Visit the Do You Know Green Infrastructure blog post for answers to the true and false questions.