Stormwater Management

Aging sewers and their increasing maintenance costs are a big topic for Honolulu’s 2012 election, other cities across the United States are flooded by the same problem. Seattle is making a splash with its new RainWise program by encouraging citizens to mitigate storm water runoff by using their yards as rain gardens. The goal is to direct water flow to a natural water filtering system like landscaping and rain gardens and away from sewers, which can flood homes, overflow sewers, and quicken erosion. It can also cause other disgusting problems like in the following picture of an otherwise beautiful marina in Honolulu.

Ala Moana Marina (yes, that is a mattress)

So why does water runoff matter? Stormwater runoff can create a cesspool of disease and trash. When it rains or snow melts sewers can become overfilled causing water to flow out of the sewers and into our streets and neighborhoods. This runoff can not soak into our streets and sidewalks and eventually returns to our waterways causing two problems, 1. water from the sewers going into our natural water has not been treated and causes contamination 2. water on the roads and sidewalks pick up debris and carry that to the nearest waterway. Human waste and pollutants that are often picked up by water runoff include, cigarette buds, animal waste, pesticides and other lawn chemicals, motor oil, and plastic bags. Contaminated water can get into our drinking water sources, close beaches, and have effects on wildlife. Contaminated water increases cost of water treatment.

Permeable surfaces allow water absorption into the ground before it can become contaminated and infect our water systems. The soil also acts as a natural water filter as it fills local aquifers. Roof gardens are a way that architects help mitigate stormwater when  creating new buildings. Combined with complete streets cities can promote green streets, which have many of the walkable/bikeable benefits of complete streets plus added green space and stormwater mitigation. We can all do our part to help prevent stormwater runoff and keep our community looking beautiful. Take pride in your community.

Sample of a Greenstreet
Image courtesy of land perspectives.wordpress.com