Managing Wet Weather with

Green Infrastructure
�
a periodic update on activities
Volume 2010, Issue 1 March 2010

One year after the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA)
introduced the Green Project Reserve, preliminary analyses show that Contacts
the demand for green projects not only met, but exceeded, Reserve
requirements. The Green Project Reserve refers to a provision in EPA Headquarters
ARRA that promotes sustainable water infrastructure by requiring states Jenny Molloy, OW/OWM
molloy.jennifer@epa.gov
to dedicate 20% of their SRF funds to green infrastructure, energy
Robert Goo, OW/OWOW
efficiency, water efficiency, and other innovative environmental projects.
goo.robert@epa.gov
In a survey of 16 states, American Rivers found that demand for green Brian Joffe, OECA
reserve projects exceeded availability by 50% for the Clean Water SRF joffe.brian@epa.gov
and 20% for the Drinking Water SRF. According to analyses conducted
by the EPA, green infrastructure projects were particularly competitive EPA Regions
in the application for Clean Water SRF funds. While green Katie Connors, R1
infrastructure projects represented about a quarter of the Green connors.katie@epa.gov
Reserve funds distributed through the Clean Water SRF (about $300 Stephen Venezia, R2
million), they represented more than a third of the projects contracted venezia.stephen@epa.gov
(about 230 projects). Dominique Lueckenhoff, R3
lueckenhoff.dominique@epa.gov
Maryann Gerber, R4
Recognizing the importance of sustainable wastewater and water
gerber.maryann@epa.gov
infrastructure, Congress has retained the Green Project Reserve in its
Bob Newport, R5
2010 budget, providing nearly $700 million for qualifying projects. newport.bob@epa.gov
Communities are encouraged to take advantage of this opportunity to Suzanna Perea, R6
transition towards green infrastructure approaches to stormwater perea.suzanna@epa.gov
management. For information on which projects are eligible and how to Mandy Whitsitt, R7
apply, consult EPA’s ARRA Guidance from 2009 and check EPA’s State whitsitt.mandy@epa.gov
Revolving Fund website for revised guidance in the near future. Other Greg Davis, R8
useful resources include the American Rivers Green Reserve website, davis.gregory@epa.gov
EPA’s fact sheet on green infrastructure and the Clean Water SRF, and John Tinger, R9
state SRF programs. tinger.john@epa.gov
Krista Mendelman, R10
mendelman.krista@epa.gov

Steering Committee Partners

David Beckman, NRDC
Nathan Gardner-Andrews &
Keith Jones, NACWA
Chris Kloss & Neil Weinstein,
LID Center
Katherine Baer, American Rivers
Linda Eichmiller, ASIWPCA

Credit: City of Spokane

Plan Views of Proposed Green Streets Projects in Spokane, WA.
Funding awarded to green infrastructure projects in the City of Spokane will
reduce runoff to the combined sewer system and reduce combined sewer
overflows.
Volume 2010, Issue 1
�
The Houston Land/Water Sustainability Forum has
developed an innovative, effective, and entertaining
approach to promoting green infrastructure and low
impact development within the design community. On
January 27, 2010, the Forum hosted the final event of
the Houston Low Impact Development Design
Competition, featuring ‘lightning presentations’, expert
judges, and an audience of 300 curious spectators. The
Design Competition, announced in September of 2009,
challenged teams of engineers, architects, and
landscape architects to apply the principles of GI and
LID to three actual properties in the Houston area . 22
teams entered the competition, drawing 225 design
professionals from 48 firms. Finalists demonstrated that
green infrastructure and low impact development can
replace conventional infrastructure at lower cost, while
producing attractive and inviting landscapes. For more
information and ideas on hosting a competition in your
community, visit the competition website.
The Green Infrastructure Community of Practice is a
collaborative network of strategic conservation
professionals promoting and implementing green
infrastructure at multiple scales to conserve ecosystem
values and provide ecological services. The GI CoP has
created a new social network through which members
can connect with like-minded professionals and share
news and events.
The City of Athens, Tennessee, recently inaugurated the
first green infrastructure project to be completed with
funds awarded by the 2008 Green Development Grant.
The Green Development Grant was created to preserve
the momentum generated by the 2008 KY-TN Green
Development Conference, and awarded $100,00 to four
green infrastructure projects. The City of Athens won
$30,000 for the installation of a green parking lot at the
YMCA. The recently completed green parking lot
includes pervious concrete, grass driving lanes, a
pervious paver system, a bio-swale, and an education
kiosk complete with green roof. The green parking
design not only saved the YMCA the expense of
installing a stormwater detention basin, but provides a
beautiful and functional community space.
Partner Features
The National Association of Clean Water Agencies
(NACWA) Flow Series Web Seminars feature expert
analyses of key trends and questions in wet weather
management. The June 9 seminar will address Water
Quality: The True Impact of Stormwater Runoff, while the
September 8 seminar will address Green Infrastructure:
What is Legal?
March 2010
Upcoming Forums & Events
2010 International Low Impact Development
Conference: Redefining Water in the City. April 11-14,
2010. San Francisco, CA. Link
Green Streets for Arid Cities. April 17, 2010. Tucson, AZ.
Link
2010 Alliance for Community Trees Green Infrastructure
Summit. April 20—21, 2010. Washington, DC. Link
2010 Good Jobs Green Jobs National Conference. May
4—6, 2010. Washington, DC. Link
Washington Regional Green Roofs and Walls
Conference & Training. June 1—2, 2010. Washington,
DC. Link
2010 Ohio Stormwater Conference. June 10—11, 2010.
Sandusky, OH. Link
2010 American Public Works Association International
Public Works Congress and Exposition. August 15—18,
2010. Boston, MA. Link
EPA Region 6 is sponsoring a series of green
infrastructure workshops developed by local partners:
Regional Water Quality and Green Infrastructure
Conference. May 13—14, 2010. Dallas, TX. Link
Green Building, Blue Water. May 25—26, 2010.
Tulsa, OK. Link
Managing Wet Weather with Green Infrastructure.
July 29—30, 2010. Fayetteville, AR.
New Publications
Green, Clean, and Dollar Smart. Lynn Scarlett,
Environmental Defense Fund. 2010.
Fresh Coast, Green Solutions: Weaving Milwaukee’s Green
and Grey Infrastructure into a Sustainable Future. Milwaukee
Metropolitan Sewerage District. December 2009.
The Carbon Footprint of Water. Bevan Griffiths Sattenspiel
and Wendy Wilson, River Network. May 2009.
For more information on managing wet weather with green
infrastructure see the website at: www.epa.gov/greeninfrastructure. To
be added to an e-mail distribution list for future issues of this bulletin,
or if you have items of interest to be considered for inclusion in future
issues, send an e-mail request to mittman.tamara@epa.gov.