What is Green Infrastructure?
Green infrastructure includes soil and vegetation, as well as permeable surfaces, that help manage stormwater runoff by capturing rainfall at its source and mimicking natural processes that improve the quality of water. It is used in urban environments to absorb and filter stormwater and reduce flooding while providing a natural habitat for wildlife. Surfaces like streets and roofs cannot absorb the polluted stormwater causing it to drain into the sewage system and contaminate the water supply with the trash and bacteria carried by the runoff. There are many different kinds of green infrastructure that can be implemented to store and purify this runoff and prevent it from being discharged into nearby bodies of water.
What are the types of green infrastructure?
Different types of green infrastructure include:
Green Roofs - Vegetation, such as grasses and wildflowers, on the roof of buildings that absorb rainfall and add insulation to the building
Downspout Disconnection - Reroute rainfall from draining into the sewer system to draining into rain barrels or permeable areas
Rain Gardens - Shallow basins containing native shrubs or grasses that absorb runoff from rooftops, streets, and sidewalks while providing habitats for wildlife
Bioswales - Deep channels filled with native plants that run along streets and parking lots to slow the release of stormwater and prevent flooding
Tree Canopies - Trees in developed areas that intercept stormwater before it reaches the ground and improve the ground’s ability to soak up water
Permeable Pavement - Pavement used for sidewalks, parking lots, or driveways that filter and store rainwater where it falls to purify the stored groundwater
What are the benefits of green infrastructure?
Besides managing runoff, green infrastructure also increases the amount of stored water that can be used instead of using municipal water supplies, which also helps to prevent droughts. Green infrastructure also improves air quality by reducing the urban heat island effect which increases air temperatures. Higher air temperatures cause an increase in smog, which can be absorbed by plants. Green infrastructure also has economic benefits, as improving water quality and decreasing air temperatures means less cost to provide energy for cooling and maintain water systems that require maintenance from overflow and erosion. Green infrastructure also adds an amenity to buildings while increasing their lifespan, making them more practical than traditional water management systems, or gray infrastructure, and less costly to implement.
How can you help?
Many cities have begun to create incentive programs for building owners to implement green infrastructure, including the DEP Green Infrastructure Grant Program in New York City. The program funds the installation of green roofs and bioswales on private properties. There are also measures to implement green infrastructure at a smaller scale at home by planting rain gardens with native plants and installing rain barrels to harvest rainfall. In these ways, and many more, green infrastructure can be incorporated into communities and reduce the effects of climate change.
Photo Source: https://www.flickr.com/photos/marc_smith/18410107686
Written by: Alessia Carreon - Intern of Moni K LLC
