Nearly three quarters of the respondents in Black & Veatch’s 2007 National Stormwater Utility Survey believe an organized public information/education effort is essential to the success of a user-fee funded stormwater utility. The importance of public education and communication in changing our mental models is confirmed by this recent survey of 71 utilities, serving populations ranging from 12,000 to 3.9 million throughout 22 states.
In line with these findings, Black & Veatch has adopted an innovative approach to improving community involvement in stormwater issues and fostering sustainable behaviors at work and at home, in the schools and in the community.
Constance Ward, Director of Global Communications
Black & Veatch’s Global Water Business
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Rain gardens present a green solution to an
escalating environmental problem: flooding and stormwater runoff
that carries surface pollutants and contaminants into storm
sewers, streams and waterways. Rain gardens are typically sunken
areas planted with native perennials which are specially designed
to collect storm water runoff and return it to the ground naturally
and safely.
About Rain Gardens Fact
Sheet (PDF)
Rain Garden Economics 101
Rain gardens
filter pollutants from stormwater run-off, lessen localized
flooding during heavy storms, and enhance landscapes with
native plants, but rain gardens also produce measurable economic
benefits.
In
Somerset, Maryland, where rain gardens were introduced in
1990, each residential property features a 300- to 400-square
foot rain garden. Besides the ecological benefits and opportunity
to showcase native plants, the Somerset project saved the
city nearly $300,000 on curbs, sidewalks and gutters, traditional
infrastructure features that were unnecessary with the addition
of rain gardens.
In Seattle, an innovative project known
as SEA Street for Street Edge Alternatives, transformed three
blocks of a residential street into a cost-effective renovation.
With 11% less impervious surface than the original roadway,
the rain garden reduced construction costs substantially while
enhancing the environment with 100 evergreen trees and 1,110
shrubs.
In Kane County, Illinois, researchers
calculated that stormwater management in upstream areas, including
the addition of rain gardens, would reduce the risk of flooding
and boost property values from $14,538 to $36,345 per acre
in downstream areas. The conservation initiatives would also
eliminate the need for new concrete culverts, saving between
$3.3 million to $4.5 million on infrastructure expenses.
The
Garden Bookshelf
If you’re looking for rain garden design
inspiration and ideas about other conservation methods, consider
these ecologically-informed books:
- Rain Gardens:
Managing Rainwater Sustainably in the Garden and Designed
Landscape. Written by Nigel Dunnett
and Andy Clayden, garden designers and lecturers at the
University of Sheffield, England, Rain Gardens features global
case studies of design solutions for small and large implementations.
- Brad
Lancaster’s Rainwater Harvesting
for Drylands: Guiding Principles to Welcome Rain into Your
Life and Landscape covers site-specific water-harvesting systems
from conception to implementation. A proponent of rainwater
harvesting since 1993, Lancaster plans two more volumes in
the Rainwater Harvesting series.
- The Natural
Habitat Garden by Ken
Druse. Praised by the Garden Writers Association of America,
Druse’s guide includes 500
photographs from 35 gardens and an introduction to the native
plants in grasslands, drylands, wetlands and woodlands. Originally
published in 1994, Druse’s book presents a holistic
approach to rain garden designs that enhance residential
and commercial landscapes while embracing ecological responsibility.
