One of the great challenges that Green Infrastructure faces is perception vs. reality. When someone drives up to a site and sees porous concrete that is raveling, permeable pavers that are silted in and shedding water or a biofiltration system that is holding water, we automatically want to believe it’s a product failure, when in…
When introducing the FocalPoint high-Performance Biofiltration System (HPMBS) to engineers, landscape architects, public agencies and contractors, we sometimes get asked if the mulch layer is really necessary. Some people want to replace it with various sizes and types of rocks while others contemplate eliminating the top layer altogether. We continue to stress the importance of…
Our friends at EHRA, Megan Crutcher, P.E., CFM and Justin Ring, P.E. talk about the true costs of Low Impact Development. The cost comparison analysis they provide is based on their latest single family residential project. Camillia is a 90 acre subdivision by Legend Homes in Fort Bend County, Texas that implemented 70 FocalPoint High Performance Modular…
Recently Region 3 released a publication titled, Community Based Public-Private Partnerships (CBP3) and Alternative Market-Based Tools for Integrated Green Stormwater Infrastructure: A Guide for Local Governments. This guide comes out of a multi-year effort by EPA Region 3 and our partners to help Mid-Atlantic communities to address their water quality challenges through faster, cheaper, and greener…
A tip of the hat to retired legendary Dallas Time Herald sports reporter Blackie Sherrod who introduced the idea of scattershooting, i.e., bouncing through a variety of topics in a single column, often producing interesting tidbits and food for thought. Did you catch the announcement by the North Texas Land/Water Sustainability Forum launching their Low…
[A tip of the hat to retired legendary Dallas Time Herald sports reporter Blackie Sherrod who introduced the idea of scattershooting, i.e., bouncing through a variety of topics in a single column, often producing interesting tidbits and food for thought.] Did you catch the announcement by the North Texas Land/Water Sustainability Forum launching their Low Impact Development…
As both an MS4 community and part of the Milwaukee River Basin, the city of Cudahy, Wisc., is required to remove suspended solids and phosphorus from storm water runoff. Additionally, the city is committed to implementing green infrastructure practices into public works projects, so when the city was tasked with replacing an alley and a…
With record droughts across the country and rising potable water costs, water harvesting is becoming a more sought after amenity on residential, commercial, and institutional buildings. One of the biggest factors to consider with water harvesting is the return on your investment. This often time become a battle between water supply and water demand. Supply…
Land and Water Magazine published an article recently that details the use of the High Performance Modular Biofiltration System (HPMBS) in Harris County, Texas’ first green roadway, Birnamwoods Drive. The HPMBS is an ideal solution for developing LID-based roads and Harris County has now implemented this technology on several roadway projects, with others in design or…
Making the Case for High Flow Biofiltration Systems We all know the history of Low Impact Development (LID). Developed in Prince George’s County, Maryland in the early ’90s, adopted throughout the Chesapeake Bay, gradually adopted in the Northwest and the Great Lakes and now picking up steam and moving coast to coast; it’s an important…