District Measures Effectiveness of “Green” Stormwater Management

(Washington, DC) -- The District of Columbia has begun the first installation phase of a stormwater management project to test eco-friendly landscaping in two northwest DC neighborhoods, the Department of the Environment (DDOE) announced today.  Small areas in Petworth and Chevy Chase DC have been selected to help demonstrate environmentally-desirable methods to prevent polluted runoff into Rock Creek.  
 
The first phase of the project, a private-public sector research partnership known as “RiverSmart Washington,” has focused on retrofitting low-cost and attractive landscapes on private property.  These measures include rain gardens (planted beds with deep sandy soils to collect and infiltrate stormwater), BayScaping (native plants in shallow garden beds), downspout disconnections and rain barrels, shade trees, and permeable surfaces.  
 
“I am excited about this project and its collaborative nature,” says Christophe A.G. Tulou, director of DDOE. “With every rainfall, stormwater runoff carries trash, dirt, lawn chemicals, oil and metals from vehicles, road salt, and pet waste directly into District waterways. Working together through the RiverSmart Washington program, will allow us to begin the work that is needed to restore the health of our waterways.”  
 
“Polluted runoff is the number one threat to the health of Rock Creek,” adds Beth Mullin, executive director of Friends of Rock Creek’s Environment. “The property owners in both test areas are enthusiastic about the chance to tackle this problem and, at the same time, beautify their yards.”
 
In sections of the city with the old single-pipe sewer system, raw sewage is added to stormwater whenever the pipes cannot handle the flows.  This toxic mix empties into Rock Creek, and on to the Potomac River and the Chesapeake Bay. Once landscaping and streetscaping improvements have been completed in 2012, data from storm drains will be collected to determine how much runoff has been reduced.  
 
The District Department of Transportation (DDOT) expects to begin making streetscape improvements this winter.  The focus will be on public spaces -- curbside vegetation planters, additional street trees, expanded tree boxes, and replacement of impervious, hard concrete in alleys and roadways with porous, water-absorbing surfaces. Each improvement is designed to infiltrate rain water close to where it falls, rather than allowing it to flow into storm drains where it is sent directly to local streams.  
 
RiverSmart Washington operates under the auspices of DDOE, in partnership with the District Department of Transportation (DDOT), Friends of Rock Creek’s Environment, Casey Trees, DC Water, and LimnoTech.  The program is supported by an $800,000 grant from the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation. Additional funding is being provided by DDOE, DC Water, and DDOT.  For project details and to learn more about the environmental impact of polluted runoff, go to http://friendsofrockcreek.org/index.php/riversmart-washington.