More Green Infrastructure projects, programs and partnerships to take shape in Springfield thanks to new funding allocation
The City of Springfield recently updated a legal agreement with the Missouri Department of Natural Resources to reduce sewer overflows and improve water quality. This new agreement dedicates a portion of funding to stormwater infrastructure and treatment practices called Green Infrastructure (GI). Green Infrastructure was formalized in the Clean Water Act by Congress in 2019 as an additional tool to improve water quality.
The City of Springfield’s stormwater pipes and sanitary sewer pipes are separate systems. So, the water that goes down the sink and the water that falls onto a parking lot do not drain to the same place. The water that goes down your sink, out of your toilet or down your shower drain all drains into the public sanitary sewer system which drains to one of the City’s two wastewater treatment plants which gets treated and returned to the environment. The rainwater that falls onto parking lots, roofs and roads drains into a system of pipes, detention basins or other infrastructure which drains directly to our streams and area lakes. Stormwater runoff collects pollutants on the ground but can be treated through different types of stormwater infrastructure. Pollutants can include excessive amounts of fertilizer, motor oil, dirt/sediment, trash or pet waste.
Green Infrastructure is a category of stormwater infrastructure that can remove pollutants from stormwater and minimize the amount of stormwater runoff from leaving a site. Green Infrastructure uses various mechanisms to treat, store or slow the stormwater runoff created from a certain area. A classic example of GI is called a rain garden. These gardens are designed to feature a very porous soil mix planted with native plants to help with absorbing and treating the polluted stormwater. Another example of GI is a green roof. These specially designed building roofs have vegetation covering the roof surface which collects the stormwater and reduces the amount of stormwater that drains to the stormwater system. A type of green infrastructure that does not incorporate plants is called pervious pavement. These pavement systems use unique materials to allow rainwater to flow through the pavement, rather than off the pavement and into the ground.
With this new funding allocation, the City plans to install more GI practices throughout the City to reduce and treat polluted stormwater through programs and projects like enhancing urban tree canopy restoration and preservation efforts, stream restoration projects, parking lot disconnect projects, and various rain garden projects to name a few. Stay tuned for more updates on new GI programs, projects and partnerships!
Written By:
Saki Urushidani, PE, ENV SP
Professional Engineer
Environmental Services
417-864-1198
[email protected]
290 E Central St, Springfield, MO 65802