Stormwater management is critical for maintaining the health and safety of your facility. Uncontrolled stormwater can cause a number of issues that should be avoided at all costs. The goals of your stormwater management system should be to reduce runoff and pollution.
Today, buildings and facilities are dealing with heavier rain and more frequent storms than ever before. It is crucial that you implement some of these stormwater management tips to help reduce your environmental impact and preserve the ecology around your business.
Here are some stormwater management tips provided by the EPA that we will discuss:
- Rain Barrels and Cisterns
- Permeable Pavements
- Bioretention Areas
- Curb and Gutter Elimination
- Sand and Organic Filters
1. Use rain barrels and cisterns to control stormwater runoff
Placing rain barrels and cisterns at rooftop downspouts and other areas where water collects will help your facility conserve water. Rain barrels harvest water mainly from rooftops. This water can be stored in cisterns and used for non-potable applications in your building like toilet flushing.
Collecting stormwater runoff will help prevent flooding and erosion, and it will save your business money.
2. Permeable pavements allows you to eliminate costly drainage systems
Paving roads and parking lots with permeable materials is easy, cost-effective, and environmentally friendly. This is an excellent stormwater management tool because the permeable surface allows water to pass through the porous material into the soil and groundwater.
Using this type of pavement instead of asphalt or concrete allows facilities to eliminate costly drainage systems. Permeable pavements are now being used in facilities all over the world.
3. A Bioretention area is landscaping with a purpose
You have probably seen a bioretention area before without knowing what it was. This is a shallow landscaped area that allows runoff stormwater to collect and filter through the soil. Bioretention areas help your facility manage stormwater and will add natural beauty to your building. They can even include benches or picnic tables where employees can enjoy their lunch break.
4. Eliminate curbs and gutters for better stormwater control
Curbs and gutters are effective, but they collect and transport stormwater too quickly. The water has no time to be filtered through soil or LID features. Pollutants are then carried away with the runoff.
Eliminating curbs and gutters might seem counterproductive when trying to manage stormwater in your facility, but there are better alternatives. Add curb cuts or swales instead so water will have a chance to pass through filters that remove pollutants. You can also direct stormwater into any of the areas mentioned previously so it can naturally filter through soil without negatively impacting the water table.
5. Reduce environmental impact with sand and organic filters
Sand areas filter 100% of stormwater runoff and can be easily installed and maintained. Many landscape management companies have adopted installing sand filters as a service because they are so effective.
Sand will slowly filter stormwater to allow it to seep into the soil below without causing contaminants to enter the water table.
Effective stormwater management benefits everyone
We can all benefit from effective stormwater management. The above tips are easy to implement, cost-effective, and environmentally friendly. They will help your facility conserve water and will benefit the environment. This will also improve the reputation of your business and provide you with a popular selling point to customers.
Citywide Facility Solutions has an office near you! They can streamline your facility operations in a way that will save you time and money. Call them to discuss all of your building services needs and to schedule a consultation today 855-TRY-CWFS
