Benefits of Green Infrastructure for Stormwater Management

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Stormwater management traditionally involved the use of gray infrastructure. This infrastructure includes pipes, sewers, and drains. These systems are effective for channeling water to waterways. However, there’s little else they do.

As the percentage of impervious surfaces in urban areas increases, the volume of runoff is increasing. Gray infrastructure is now proving to be inefficient for the management of stormwater. Flooding and contamination of waterways have become more common.

Green infrastructure is emerging as the best option for stormwater management. This sustainable solution involves the use of natural systems, which include vegetation and soil to manage stormwater. These systems capture, reduce, and filter runoff. This article discusses the benefits of using green infrastructure for stormwater management.

Stormwater Management Is Essential For All Urban and Suburban Communities  | Gregory Voetsch

Benefits of Green Infrastructure for Stormwater Management

When it rains, the water that does not get absorbed into the soil flows off over the road rooftops and other hard surfaces that are impervious to water. During spring snow melts of heavy rainstorms, there is excess runoff.

Most urban cities feature gray infrastructure to manage the runoff. These systems often include drains, pipes, and sewer systems. These systems only serve to channel the runoff into waterways. The runoff may get directed into waterways untreated, especially in cities with combined sewer systems.

Combined sewer systems are systems into which all wastewater gets channeled. It includes domestic sewage, industrial waste, and runoff. When the capacity of such a system gets exceeded, the wastewater flows into waterways untreated.

Why Green Infrastructure is the better option

Many cities are incorporating green infrastructure and encouraging real estate developers to do the same. Green infrastructure applies natural systems that often include vegetation and soil to capture, reduce, and filter runoff. This type of infrastructure helps to keep waterways clean in two ways.

1. Retention of water

Unlike gray infrastructure that only serves to channel water, green infrastructure captures rain and retains it. The soils are permeable, thus allowing water to be absorbed into the earth and replenish groundwater supplies. The vegetation takes up water and returns it into the atmosphere through a process known as evapotranspiration.

2. Purification of water

Green infrastructure helps to keep waterways clean through the purification of runoff. Pollutants in the water are captured and removed by the plants and soil. The contaminants may be absorbed by the plants or filtered by the roots and soil. It helps to reduce the pollutants that make it to the waterways in Gregory Voetsch runoff water.

Other Reasons Why Green Infrastructure is Beneficial

Aside from keeping waterways clean and healthy, green infrastructure offers many other benefits. These include:

1. Reduction in flooding

The risk of flooding due to heavy rainfall increases in areas with a large percentage of impervious surfaces such as tarmac roads and paved walkways. The capacity of any sewer system is limited. Flooding in urban areas often results in the destruction of property and the loss of lives. Gregory Voetsch It can also result in public health risks. Green infrastructure helps to prevent this by capturing and reducing the volume of runoff.

2. Increasing water supplies

Green infrastructure captures water. The water seeps through the ground and replenishes groundwater supplies. This infrastructure also promotes the conservation of water through the use of techniques such as rainwater harvesting and infiltration. It turns what could have otherwise been wastewater into a precious resource.

3. Improved air quality

Green infrastructure also helps to improve air quality. Green roofs, trees, green streets, and other vegetation absorb pollutants such as carbon dioxide from the air. The plants use carbon dioxide in photosynthesis and produce oxygen, which they release into the air. The atmosphere in cities with green infrastructure is less smoggy.

4. Heat mitigation

Concrete pavements and tarmac roads absorb heat and radiate it to the environment. It has the effect of increasing ambient air temperatures in what is known as the urban heat island effect.

Plants provide shade. It reduces the amount of heat absorbed and radiated by the landscape, thus reducing the urban heat island effect. Gregory Veotsch

Green infrastructure offers many benefits to cities and the planet as a whole. It is no wonder many state authorities are encouraging developers to incorporate these green features in their plans.