Cities are using green infrastructure to meet EPA clean water standards. Listen up:
Installing a green roof can take the stress off aging infrastructure and create spaces of peaceful green amidst the grey. (via US EPA)
Too much rain…and too many people using a lot of water can overwhelm aging stormwater systems. That can cause them to overflow and dump pollution into rivers.
Instead of rebuilding systems or adding bigger pipes, many cities are turning to green infrastructure to meet clean water standards. By creating green space where plants and soils can capture rainwater and runoff…
Rousseau: “Less is being sent through the pipes and there’s less chance for overflows…”
That’s Katie Rousseau of the nonprofit American Rivers. She says rain gardens, storage ponds, and permeable pavement which treat stormwater at its source are a real solution, and cost less than fixing old systems.
Hear More:
Listen to Katie Rousseau describe the cost savings that green infrastructure provides.
Get Schooled:
- Learn more about green infrastructure with this article by American Rivers
- Check out EPA’s water quality standards
- Brush up on the aging pipe systems in Great Lakes States with this article by Model D
The Fine Print:
- This segment is produced with Cornell’s Atkinson Center for a Sustainable Future, and made possible by the Foundation for Pennsylvania Watersheds.
