Green Infrastructure Turning Stormwater Into a Resource
In the United States, the Water Infrastructure Improvement Act amends the Federal Water Pollution Control Act to provide for the use of green infrastructure to reduce stormwater flows. One city that is demonstrating how green infrastructure can turn stormwater into a resource is Santa Monica.
The City of Santa Monica, in partnership with the Santa Monica Malibu Unified School District and the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California, has constructed the Los Amigos Park Storm Water Harvesting and Direct Use Demonstration Project.
The project involves capturing stormwater runoff from a storm drain near the park, pre-treating flows with a hydrodynamic separator, storing flows in a subsurface storage system, and treating the water with ultraviolet light before use for indoor flushing and park irrigation, both of which currently use potable water.
The project stores around 53,000 gallons of urban runoff and offsets up to 550,000 gallons of potable water per year, ensuring urban runoff can become a resource rather than a waste that carries pollution into Santa Monica Bay.
In addition to reducing the amount of polluted runoff going into the ocean, the project demonstrates to the wider community the benefits of capturing and using urban runoff and stormwater for uses that do not require potable water. Overall, the project contributes towards the city’s wider goal of reducing water use by 20% and being 100% water self-sufficient by 2020.
Conclusion
Green infrastructure projects can contribute to sustainability in the areas of stormwater use, water conservation, water reclamation, and source control.