Image credit: U.S. Environmental Protection AgencyIn February 2013, the City of Atlanta took a major step towards sustainability by updating its Post-Development Stormwater Management Ordinance to promote the use of Green Infrastructure on new and redevelopment projects in the City. The new ordinance requires new and redeveloped sites to treat the first inch of stormwater runoff onsite with green infrastructure, and applies to both commercial and residential developments. A workshop run by the City’s Office of Watershed Protection is available on video, and includes more details about the new requirements as well information about existing green infrastructure projects in the City:
While the ordinance applies only within Atlanta city limits right now, it’s indicative of a larger movement toward green infrastructure nationwide. Green infrastructure practices use natural hydrologic features to manage stormwater. Use of these techniques provides not just stormwater management, but also flood mitigation, air quality improvements, and other benefits — and can be more cost-effective than relying on “gray” infrastructure methods (pipes, culverts, etc.) alone.
Even if you aren’t a developer (or in the City of Atlanta), you can implement green infrastructure on your residential or commercial property — by installing a rain garden or a vegetated buffer, for example. To get an idea of the impact a green infrastructure project can have on a watershed, check out the National Stormwater Calculator.
