How Green Can

Lead to Blue
Johanna Hunter
EPA New England

Perceived Barriers
� Cost to install
� Operation and Maintenance
� Unclear on what “green” is
� Environmental Benefits?
� Why bother in an urban setting

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 Protect Green
� Healthy watersheds

� Ensuring restoration/protection of urban

biodiversity and ecological functions

� Limit impacts

Restore Green
� Watershed plans identify opportunities for
restoration (urban and rural)

� May include: habitat, buffer, stream flow

� Programsin place to accomplish this –

319 and CWA funds (e.g., stimulus)

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 Install Green
� Examples abound in New England
� Should be part of our rhetoric as normal
and not “new” or innovative
� Promote real sustainability – incorporate
energy and water efficiency
� Part of ARRA and future CWSRF/DWSRF
funding

Imperviousness varies by use

0 – 5% 0 – 15% 5 ­ 65% 50 ­ 95%

Slide from UConn Center for Land Use Education and Research

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 Hydrologic Impacts of Development
Development

• more water
• arriving more quickly

Slide from UCONN Center for Land Use Education and Research 

G len B
Glen rook G
Brook reen ((Jordan
Green Jordan
C ove)
Cove)

R esearch/Demo P
Research/Demo roject
Project

•• U
UCConn
on
onnn
•• CCTDEP
TDEP
•• EEPA
PA
Traditional
Traditional BMP C
Traditional luster
Cluster
•• TTown
ow
own n of
of 
WWaterfor
aterfordd
•• CContractorr
ontracto
ontractor 

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 Jordan Cove Study
Study

�
� cluster
cluster layout
layout
�
� grassed
grassed swales
swales
� pervious road
� pervious road L
LIID
D Cluster
�
� pervious
pervious driveways
driveways
�
� rain
rain gardens
gardens
�
� bioretention
bioretention ccu
ull­­de
de­­sa
sacc
�
� low
low m
moow
w areas
areas

Traditional

Slide from UCONN Center for Land Use Education and Research

PUTTING IT ALL 
TOGETHER
• alltternatiiv
ve surfaces
R in ggaarrddeennss
Raain ineeeerreedd ssw
EEnnggin waalle
ess
• ““g
green” desiig
gn
• mechaniic
cal l BMPs
• educatiio
on   a s   a   B M P

PPervious
ervious rroadway
oadway

““no
no  m ow”” zzon
mow one
C luster 
luster
Cluster
ddesign
esign
B ioretention ““circle
Bioretention circle””

N aturalistic 
aturalistic
Naturalistic
landscaping
la ndscaping
landscaping PPervious
ervious ddriveways
riveways

5
 Jordan Cove – BMP Cluster Subdivision

Bioretention area in
turnaround Pervious
driveways

Concrete grid lined grass swale

Rain gardens

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 Benefits of Green Infrastructure/LID

� Cleaner water, reduced CSO’s

CSO s, reduced flooding

� Cleaner air, more trees, decreased erosion

� Enhanced water supplies, increased infiltration

� Reduced urban heat-island

heat island effect and reduced cooling
costs in the summer

� Increased energy efficiency

� Increase property values

More Green Benefits

� Community benefits, parks, trails, habitats,
gardens, involvement and stewardship
� Beach Openings
� Cost savings to cities and developers
� Frees up capacity in aging sewer systems
� Less longer term O & M costs

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 What’s Challenging
Hurdles to Overcome
� Public perception – rivers are polluted
� Contamination – water, land, sediment,
fish
� Lack of constituency – what river or
watershed?
� Out of sight, out of mind
� Poor design, pattern of development Park River entering conduit in Hartford , CT

� Safety issues – liability

� Maintenance issues – parks, trails

Water Quality

o Nutrients
o Pathogens
o Debris
o Toxic Contaminants
o Sediment
o Thermal Stress
o Etc., etc., etc.

Slide from UCONN Center for Land Use Education and Research

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 Green to Blue
� Protect, restore, install
� Common place approach
� Consider stormwater as a resource
� CT as leaders in effort
� EPA in step with integrated “sustainable”
strategy approach

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