1. A Comprehensive Approach to Stormwater Retrofit in Chicago
City of Chicago
Department of Environment
May 2005

2. Presentation Outline Overview – Why manage stormwater?
Chicago’s Water Agenda
Stormwater BMPs
Successes and Challenges of BMPs

3. Stormwater Flow in Chicago:
Due to the landscape of a city like Chicago, the stormwater has very few choices on where to go and often ends up as run off into the lakes and sewers that can lead to flooding.

4. Stormwater Impacts Adverse Impacts on Biodiversity:
Flooded Basements
Untreated sewage in Chicago waterways
Photo from Clean Water Network
Excess water volume
Degraded water quality
Adverse Impacts on Biodiversity:
Erosion and flooding
Impaired habitat for plants and animals

5. Stormwater Impacts

6. 2003 Mayor Daley’s Water Agenda for the City of Chicago
Water Quality
Water Conservation
- Managing Stormwater
- Outreach & Mobilization

7. Chicago’s Water Agenda:
“Understanding that our water resources work as a complex and connected system, the agenda calls for a comprehensive approach to the City’s treasured waterways to ensure that they are conserved for future generations, protected and improved, and managed so that water can continue to sustain us, connect us as neighbors, and define our community’s role nationally and internationally.”

8. Chicago’s Water Agenda:
“The City will continue to invest in and encourage green infrastructure and design in City projects as well as private development.”
“The City will continue to reduce the amount of pollution that flows from roadways into area waterways.”

9. Many actors…. Chicago Department of Environment
Chicago Department of Water Management
Chicago Department of General Services
Chicago Department of Transportation
Chicago Department of Planning and Development
Department of Construction and Permits
Sister Agencies: Chicago Park District, Chicago Housing Authority, etc.

10. …a variety of projects Permeable Alley –
CDOT and CDOE
TARP: Tunnel and Reservoir Project, begun in 1970s by the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago (MWRDGC)

11. Ordinances/Regulatory Opportunities
Chicago Standard
Landscape Ordinance
Stormwater Ordinance?

12. Stormwater Management Goals:
Reduce amount of impervious surface areas
Utilize landscape and soils to support the natural flow of stormwater
Support Mayor’s Green Initiatives:
Green Agenda
Water Agenda
Infrastructure Agenda

13. A Guide to Stormwater BMPs
Details 8 stormwater management practices
Information for residential, commercial, & industrial applications
Available online
Environment

14. Stormwater BMPs Green Roofs Downspouts, Rain Barrels and Cisterns
Permeable Paving
Filter Strips
Drainage Swales
Naturalized Detention Basins
Bioinfiltration
Natural Landscaping
Rain Gardens

15. Green Roofs City Hall Rooftop Garden (Intensive System)
-Layers of Living Vegetation installed on tops of buildings.
-Helps mitigate impervious surfaces by essentially simulating natural ground cover. In green roof systems, runoff is absorbed and retained by living vegetation installed on a rooftop.
.Green roof systems provide insulation and prolong the life of a roof by protecting it from the elements.Green roof systems also absorb stormwater and improve air quality by reducing the urban heat island effect. Maintenance of green roof systems is minimal and mostly involves watering and weed removal during the first few years of establishment
Other benefits include:
reduce building heating and cooling costs by providing better insulation
improve air quality by mitigating urban heat island effect
City Hall Rooftop Garden (Intensive System)

16. Green Roofs CCGT Rooftop Garden (Extensive System)
There are two Types of Green Roofs
Extensive Systems – Extensive systems usually contain shallower soil (2 to 4 inches of soil media) ,put less weight on rooftops,and are easy to maintain.They generally contain shorter plants with shallower root systems.
2) Intensive Systems – Intensive systems have deeper soil;add more weight to a rooftop;and generally contain a more diverse mixture of deep-rooted plants,trees,and shrubs.Intensive systems require more maintenance but provide added benefits in the form of water filtration and wildlife habitat.

17. Downspouts, Rain barrels & Cisterns
What they are: Rain barrels and cisterns collect and store stormwater runoff from rooftops.
Stormwater Benefits: They are most effective at diverting flow during small storms. Of course, the bigger your barrel the more stormwater benefit you get. Water collected in rain barrels and cisterns can be used to water lawns and landscaped areas.
Considerations: Rain barrels should be sealed during warmer seasons to prevent mosquito breeding
and must be drained before winter to prevent any damage from freezing and thawing
Costs: $25 - $155 per barrel
Maintenance: They require periodic cleaning to remove debris and inspection for leaks, mosquitoes.

18. 2004 pilot program distributed 440 rain barrels to City residents
City retrofitted recycled barrels
2004 pilot program distributed 440 rain barrels to City residents

19. Downspout Disconnection
Brochure, public service announcement

20. Permeable Paving
What they are: Permeable pavement systems are essentially concrete or asphalt pavement alternatives that allow rainwater infiltration. come in many different forms. One of the most common forms is paving blocks or grids that have openings filled with a porous material such as sand or soil.
Stormwater Benefits: Permeable pavement systems provide many benefits in urban environments by reducing the
quantity of stormwater runoff and removing pollutants normally associated with runoff events.
Other Benefits: improve aesthetic quality and can reduce urban heat island effects
Considerations:
Paving blocks work best on areas that have sandy,permeable soils.
Permeable pavement systems are most useful in areas that do not receive high traffic volumes or heavy weight loads. – Patio Decks, Driveways, walk ways.
Costs: $10 - $15 per square foot
Maintenance: May require occaional mowing for vegetated pavers. Special care for plowing due to uneven surface.
LOCAL EXAMPLE: 48th Ward: Alley just north of 1400 block of W. Catalpa
Low-traffic areas such as quiet residential alleys, walkways, less-frequently used parking lots, driveways, and patios are excellent locations for permeable paving. Permeable paving should be considered for any new construction or renovation of these low traffic areas in the ward.

21. Drainage Swales Swales
are open-channel drainageways used as an alternative to conventional storm sewers.Swales
can reduce the volume of stormwater runoff onto a site, especially during small storm events,
if the swale is situated in sandy soils Swales or unlined ditches and natural channels are
superior to conventional storm sewers because they allow water infiltration and can remove
pollutants if they are vegetated. Vegetated swales can provide some wildlife habitat and
increase the amount of runoff removed by transpiration and evaporation.If at all possible,
natural drainageways should be preserved as part of the development site ’s drainage system.
Another advantage of swales, ditches, and natural channels is their low capital cost. Swales
and ditches can be designed to convey both high and low flows but may not be appropriate
where space is limited.

22. Bioinfiltration
Bioinfiltration systems are shallow, landscaped depressions used to promote absorption and infiltration of stormwater runoff. This management practice is very effective at removing pollutants and reducing the volume of runoff, especially when used for parking lot islands. Stormwater flows into the bioinfiltration area, ponds on the surface, and gradually infiltrates into the soil bed. Filtered runoff is infiltrated into the surrounding soils via an absorption basin or trench. Excess water can be collected by an under-drain system and discharged to the storm sewer system or directly into receiving waters. Bioinfiltration systems typically are designed to store and treat runoff from relatively small storms, such as those that occur every year or every other year. Ideally, pretreatment should be provided to remove suspended solids from the runoff before it enters the system.
Applicability Bioinfiltration is suitable for developments that have sufficient room for the water to be absorbed. Suggested applications include: parking lot islands, residential developments utilizing swale drainage for pre-treatment, commercial developments utilizing filter strips adjacent to parking lots for pre-treatment, and campus developments utilizing swale drainage and filter strips for pre-treatment.
Maintenance Considerations Bioinfiltration maintenance includes periodic inspection to ensure the system is operating properly, along with management of the vegetation.
Cost Considerations Bioinfiltration costs can range between $10 to $40 per square foot, based on the need for plants, control structures, curbing, storm drains and underdrains.

23. Natural Landscaping Habitat for native species
Stabilizes soil, reduces erosion, captures water

24. Natural Landscaping Tailored to individual location
Drainage patterns, sun exposure, salt exposure

25. Rain Gardens
Chicago resident tending rain garden in her parkway in Edgewater
Rain Gardens can be very attractive

26. Rain Garden Basics Deep-rooted native plants to absorb water
Shallow depression to collect water
Turf strip for filtering and aesthetics

27. Rain Gardens 4 planted in 41st Ward pilot project
Outreach activities continue
See Chicago’s Rain Garden brochure at

28. Ford Supplier Park
155-acre Chicago Manufacturing Campus for 12 Ford automotive suppliers.
Natural landscaping
Wetland mitigation
Energy efficiency
15 acres of wetland restoration, and 2200 feet of Wolf Creek restoration
Average distance for a given part to the assembly line has been reduced from 425 miles to 125 miles. It is estimated that 2 billion gallons of diesel fuel per year will be saved because of this.

29. Tarkington Elementary School and Marquette Park collaboration
Lagoon restoration and water runoff
married to support each other

30. Benefits of BMP Implementation

31. Challenges of BMP Implementation
Legal requirements
Incentives
Public/developer engagement
Maintenance
Building Ordinances
Data Collection and Analysis
Priorities

32. Outreach Brochures & Publications Community Meetings and Events
Collaboration with schools
Water Hotline
WATER
Websites
Publications:
Save the Source
Conserve Chicago Together
Chicago’s Water Agenda
A Guide to Stormwater BMPs
Rain Garden brochure
Disconnecting Downspouts brochure
Mtgs/Events
Roll out the Barrel Days
CCGT
Community Festivals
CAPS meetings
Norwood Park Historical Society Rain Garden Program

33. Transit Media Ads 7 ads designed 750 CTA bus and train exterior cards
100 CTA bus exterior cards

34. Additional Resources
Department of Environment Homepage
Conserve Chicago Together Website
Chicago Center for Green Technology
Chicago’s Water Agenda: