Portland Getting More Attention for Storm Sewers

It’s no secret that the Pacific Northwest gets a lot of rain. What’s surprising is that Portland’s traditional storm sewer system has never been able to keep up with it. This USA Today article presents Portland’s innovative storm water systems as ecologically friendly (which they are), but it’s also a cost-saving measure. If the city creates bioswales and encourages residents to deal with runoff on site, they don’t have to be making costly upgrades to an aging storm water system. Other cities have started to take notice — the idea that they can stop building elaborate storm sewers is enticing.

From the article, here’s a list of what Portland is doing:

• About 50,000 homeowners have disconnected their gutter downspouts from the storm-water system — the cheapest way to improve storm-water quality. The water flows from rooftops into gardens and rain barrels. The city rewards homeowners with signs that say, “I disconnected my downspout for clear rivers.”
• Portland has rain gardens on 300 roofs, covering 24 acres. Fees, credits and zoning incentives have promoted the rooftop gardens, which capture about 80% of rainfall.
• Curb extensions that contain trees or native plants replace storm-water drains. A well-designed natural area can absorb nearly all the rain that falls on a city block, while slowing traffic, improving pedestrian safety and making a street prettier.
• Fees and credits try to match price to the costs of storm-water control. Every property is charged a fee to pay for the city’s storm-water system, but credits are granted for those who keep water out of pipes.

And, again, here’s a description of Portland’s storm water volume problems:

The volume of storm water is overwhelming waterways. A quarter-inch rain on the typical American roof fills a 55-gallon barrel. A half-inch rain on a Wal-Mart parking lot generates 250,000 gallons of water. Storm-water volume is “blowing out streams,” says Nancy Stoner, deputy assistant administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency’s Office of Water. “Sediment from the banks of streams is a big part of the problem.”

I think another side benefit of building bioswales is their appearance. I like how they look and it feels like a little bit of nature right in the city.

Photo via ckeech on Flickr.