Posters, Maps & Illustrations: INNOVATIVE STORMWATER PROGRAMS
"Green stormwater management projects that mimic nature."
The City of Portland’s Sustainable Stormwater program has moved from pilot projects to citywide Green Infrastructure standards and neighborhood scale applications.
Monitored projects showed cost-effective on-site capture of 80-95% of stormwater runoff, significant sewer overflow reductions, and pollutant removal.
After 10 years, Portland has found that Green Infrastructure techniques can reduce peak flows by at least 80-85%, retaining at least 60% of the storm volume of a CSO design storm. Disconnection of over 49,000 downspouts, paying $53 per downspout for a total cost of about $2.5 million, has reduced over 1.2 billion gallons of runoff from reaching sewers, reducing sewer overflows by 10 percent.
The City spends a significant amount of time and resources on a variety of programs and public involvement initiatives that work with citizens, businesses, and property owners to increase public awareness of stormwater issues and promote private stormwater management efforts.
Public involvement also provides feedback to the City on policy and community priorities. The Stormwater Advisory Committee (SAC) is a volunteer citizen advisory group that meets regularly to provide technical and expert advice to the City through stormwater-related policy recommendations.
Of interest to homeowners are:
Clean River Rewards, the city's stormwater discount program, provides up to a 100% discount on the on-site stormwater management charge on the city's water/sewer utility bill for properties that are managing stormwater on-site. Clean River Rewards provides stormwater retrofit workshops, publications, and a variety of technical assistance options.
The Downspout Disconnection Program
"gives homeowners, neighborhood associations, and community groups the chance to work as partners with Environmental Services to help reduce combined sewer overflows."
Go to
Portland's Sustainable Stormwater program webpage
Read
"Integrating Stormwater into the Built Environment" (external link)
The City of Portland’s Sustainable Stormwater program has moved from pilot projects to citywide Green Infrastructure standards and neighborhood scale applications.
Monitored projects showed cost-effective on-site capture of 80-95% of stormwater runoff, significant sewer overflow reductions, and pollutant removal.
After 10 years, Portland has found that Green Infrastructure techniques can reduce peak flows by at least 80-85%, retaining at least 60% of the storm volume of a CSO design storm. Disconnection of over 49,000 downspouts, paying $53 per downspout for a total cost of about $2.5 million, has reduced over 1.2 billion gallons of runoff from reaching sewers, reducing sewer overflows by 10 percent.
The City spends a significant amount of time and resources on a variety of programs and public involvement initiatives that work with citizens, businesses, and property owners to increase public awareness of stormwater issues and promote private stormwater management efforts.
Public involvement also provides feedback to the City on policy and community priorities. The Stormwater Advisory Committee (SAC) is a volunteer citizen advisory group that meets regularly to provide technical and expert advice to the City through stormwater-related policy recommendations.
Of interest to homeowners are:
Clean River Rewards, the city's stormwater discount program, provides up to a 100% discount on the on-site stormwater management charge on the city's water/sewer utility bill for properties that are managing stormwater on-site. Clean River Rewards provides stormwater retrofit workshops, publications, and a variety of technical assistance options.
The Downspout Disconnection Program
"gives homeowners, neighborhood associations, and community groups the chance to work as partners with Environmental Services to help reduce combined sewer overflows."
Go to
Portland's Sustainable Stormwater program webpage
Read
"Integrating Stormwater into the Built Environment" (external link)
1st September 2008 · by
