Combined sewer overflows (CSOs) and aged infrastructure have led to heightened awareness of the burdens and perils of stormwater management in Detroit. Furthermore, the failure points for much of these aged systems affect residents and businesses in vulnerable, low-income neighborhoods. On August 11, 2014, Detroit received a 500-year storm event that attracted national attention, flooded major highways, and resulted in catastrophic damages. Detroit Water and Sewerage Department (DWSD) has enforced a significant drainage fee of $750 per month per acre of impervious surface for non-residential properties to provide funds for maintenance to their aging stormwater management system. As a result, many small businesses are motivated to offset this impactful drainage expense by implementing Green Stormwater Infrastructure (GSI) practices on their properties. Detroit poses a unique set of issues for GSI implementation, most notably the spatial constraints of small urban lots (average lot size of 0.13 acres) and a hydrogeologic setting that is typically low permeability clays. Among other challenges are funding, historic building issues, unknown utilities, legacy contamination, soil management, and permitting agencies that operate as silos. However, DWSD will award up to an 80% total drainage reduction through the use of GSI, which has helped stimulated a movement of grassroots stakeholders including local nonprofits, community and neighborhood organizations, and small businesses. The presentation will touch on challenges and pitfalls of the GSI design and construction processes in Detroit through two case studies: PizzaPlex Infiltration Gallery and Southwest Detroit Business Association Rain Garden. Each case study will track the project from idea through the design/build phase. In addition, each case study will present details on the GSI drainage credit process, unique funding opportunities, and two years of operation, maintenance and monitoring (OM&M), culminating with a comparison of predicted design performance versus real world performance metrics for both practices.

Challenges and successes of green stormwater infrastructure in Detroit

Macromolecular Chemistry: The Second Century

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ACS Spring 2020 National Meeting & Expo

The official archive and repository for all ACS Meetings & Expositions abstracts and select posters or presentations.