MARINA BARRAGE (Singapore)

Built across the mouth of Marina Channel, Marina Barrage (MB) creates Singapore’s 15th reservoir, and
the first in the heart of the city.

Marina Barrage is a dam built across the Marina Channel creating a fresh water reservoir in downtown
Singapore. Besides offering a source of water supply and creating a recreational venue for water activities, it helps
to reduce flood risks in low-lying areas in the city (e.g. Chinatown). Marina Barrage also offers a spectacular view
of Singapore's city skyline. Its Green Roof is a perfect location for picnicking and kite-flying.

With a catchment area of 10,000 hectares, Marina catchment is the island’s largest and most urbanised
catchment. Together with two other reservoirs, Marina Reservoir has increased Singapore’s water catchment
from half to two-thirds of the country’s land area.

Marina Barrage is part of a comprehensive flood control scheme to alleviate flooding in the low-lying areas
in the city such as Chinatown, Boat Quay, Jalan Besar and Geylang. During heavy rain, the series of nine crest gates
at the dam are activated to release excess stormwater into the sea when the tide is low. In the case of high tide,
giant pumps can drain excess stormwater into the sea.
 PHILADELPHIA GREEN STORMWATER INFRASTRUCTURE LANDSCAPE
(Philadelphia, Pennysylvania)

Projects installed have been closely monitored to assess system functionality, plant health, resiliency, and overall aesthetic qualities. In the
various SMPs, PWD has observed that species vary in their tolerances to moisture levels, concentration of pollutants, as well as sediment
and trash. Each design considers these factors by establishing upper zones, lower zones, and entrance zones within a SMP. The boundaries
for these hydrologic zones will depend on the designed maximum ponding depth, steepness of the side-slopes, frequency of inundation, and
infiltration rate. / image: Philadelphia Water Department

In Philadelphia, the measure of the city’s progress is a “greened acre.” Each acre of the city receives some
1 million gallons of rainfall annually. Once “greened,” an acre of impervious surface will have its first inch of runoff
managed by stormwater infrastructure and the pollution from that acre sharply reduced. To date, the Philadelphia
Water Department has built nearly 1,100 greened acres and expects to add another 1,300 in the next three years;
the green infrastructure already is exceeding targets for stormwater overflow reduction, cutting that volume by
1.7 billion gallons — nearly three times the original projection. It has constructed more than 600 stormwater
management practices (SMPs) in the city, including rain gardens, tree trenches, stormwater planters, and
stormwater bumpouts. These stormwater landscapes, collectively known as green stormwater infrastructure
(GSI), slow, filter, and infiltrate rainfall to help prevent polluted runoff from entering the city’s sewers and
waterways. GSI is versatile and fits into the urban fabric of Philadelphia to not only manage stormwater but also
to mitigate urban heat, improve air quality, provide habitat, improve human health, increase land value, and
improve quality of life for city residents.
 DOWNSPOUT DISCONNECTION (Portland, Oregon)

Process of Downspout Disconnection

It is a conventional construction, roof runoff flows through gutters and downspouts to a drywell, storm
sewer or combined sewer. Disconnecting downspouts helps keep clean roof runoff from overloading the sewer
system when it rains. Roof runoff can be redirected to a yard, garden, swale, or stormwater planter, or to a rain
barrel or cistern for storage.

Downspouts can be disconnected on residential, commercial and industrial properties. The system you
choose can be as simple or complex as your goals and site requirements allow.

Downspout disconnection reduces stormwater in the sewer system. Storing roof runoff for irrigation or
gray water systems conserves potable water and can reduce water bills. Disconnection is simple, inexpensive,
effective, and easily integrated into the landscape design. In Portland, over 47,000 residential properties have
disconnected downspouts, removing more than one billion gallons of roof water every year from the combined
sewer system.
 ALLISTON WAY (Berkley, CA)

Illustration on How Permeable Paving Works

The first curb-to-curb permeable street in the Bay Area, Allston Way not only provides a safe and beautiful
transportation route in the City of Berkeley, but also infiltrates stormwater, filters pollutants, reduces runoff and
improves the health of surrounding trees. It was transformed from a deteriorated asphalt surface into a 29,000
square-foot environmentally-friendly permeable interlocking concrete pavement (PICP) roadway.

Permeable pavement as an alternative to traditional asphalt, the approach is also more economical than
traditional methods. The new material has a lifespan 3-5 times longer than that of traditional pavement, which is
expected in the long run to offset the 50% to 60% greater cost of construction.

Advantages of permeable pavement include a more durable, less slippery surface; long term cost benefits;
a reduced carbon footprint (there are 783 metric tons of CO2 produced with current paving materials); reduced
storm water discharge and improved water quality from runoff; reduced solar heat gain due to its lighter color
and permeable material; traffic calming; the possibility for reduced street sweeping requirements; less potential
for sidewalk “heaving”; and aesthetic improvements.
 METROPOLITAN AREA OUTER DISCHARGE CHANNEL (Saitama, Japan)

The Metropolitan Area Outer Discharge Channel was designed to alleviate the rainfall that has caused six
major floods to occur in Japan since 1979, two from typhoons, providing an underground response to an above
ground occurrence. According to engineers, the gargantuan sewer water discharge channel will reduce the
flooded area by more than 80%. Completed behind schedule a few years ago, this extensive system has yet to be
put to use, but is open for inquiring minds wanting to experience the self designated “underground temple”
firsthand.

This is actually a ”water pressure regulation chamber” where the pressure of the water from the
underground tunnel is eased before being smoothly released from the facility.

This enormous underground space is 78 meters wide and 177 meters deep. The 59 pillars, standing 18
meters high and each weighing 500 tons, hold up the ceiling of this underground temple.

Vertical wells take in the water that overflows from the river and leads to the underground tunnel.