Green Infrastructure:A Truly Public Utility

Khris DodsonEnvironmental Finance Center, Syracuse University

serving EPA region 2September 2011

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2

Cisterns have been around for a long time…

What is old is new again…

Rain has always been a resource!

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But this is not your grandma’s rain barrel…

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Communicating with the Public

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6Understanding CSOs

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CombinedSewer

Interceptor Sewer to Wastewater Treatment

Facility

SanitarySewer

CreekDry Weather

Flow

Catch Basin

During dry weather, sanitary flows are collected in combined sewers for treatment at Wastewater treatment facilities

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8During wet weather, inflows exceed the collection system’s capacity and trigger a CSO

CombinedSewer

Interceptor Sewer to Wastewater Treatment

Facility

SanitarySewer

Creek

Catch Basin

Combined Sewer

Overflow

Stormwater Runoff

Roof Leaders

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9Green solutions intercept and reduce stormwater flows to sewers, providing storage, infiltration, and treatment

Vegetated Swale

Combined Sewer

Interceptor Sewer to Wastewater Treatment

Facility

SanitarySewer

CreekDry Weather

Flow

Porous Roadway

Stormwater Runoff

Roof Leader

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Syracuse: A case study

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11History

Onondaga Lake Facts

Watershed: 285 Square

Miles

1 Mile Wide – 4.6 Miles

Long

Average Depth: 35 feet

Max Depth: 63 feet

1940 – Swimming Banned

1970 – Fishing Banned

• 1988 – Atlantic States Legal Foundation files lawsuit against County

• 1989 – Litigation settled through METRO consent judgment

• 1998 – METRO consent judgment replaced with Amended Consent Judgment (ACJ)

• 1st ACJ amendment May 1998

• 2006 ACJ Amended to include consolidation of ammonia and phosphorus treatment and Harbor Brook conveyances and RTF

• 3rd Amendment April 2008 (Extension)

• 2009 ACJ amended to authorize use of Gray and Green infrastructure

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Mid

lan

d A

ve R

TF

CSO Storage, Treatment and Conveyance Project

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Conveyance project under construction through south side neighborhoodcausing significant disruption

ConveyanceTrench

Conveyance PipingAwaiting Installation

CSO 044

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Large diameter conveyance pipeline dwarfs front end loader and operator

Environmental Justice

Green Infrastructure means…

• Injustice of Midland plant will not be repeated

• Onondaga Creek & Harbor Brook will be

cleaner• Community investment and beautification instead

of further disruption

Green Infrastructure

• Solution to capacity problems with underground storage – reduce the rain!

• Proposed by Onondaga Nation

Partnership for Onondaga Creek2010 - lspeer@mrss.com

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• During 2008 and 2009 the POC, Syracuse University and SUNY-ESF cooperated to obtain over 200 surveys among five neighborhoods of the Midland and Clinton Sewershed to assess public attitudes toward Green Infrastructure (GI) Implementation.

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Education & OutreachSave the Rain means…

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…being enthusiastic!

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21Bringing people together…

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24Save the Rain Outreach Programs

• Workshops▫ Intro to GI for Businesses▫ GI for New Homeowners▫ Community Workshop▫ Rain Barrel ▫ Landscape Professionals▫ Pervious Products▫ GI for Youth▫ GI and Art for Children▫ Nature in the City▫ High school classrooms▫ Exhibiting at Events

Design CharettesDemonstration Projects

…and the Green Improvement Fund for Businesses too!

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25Brochures, activity books, bookmarks, and a board game: “Raindrop Run”

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Contact me:

•Khris DodsonCommunications and Program ManagerEnvironmental Finance Center315-443-8818kdodson@syracusecoe.org

www.savetherain.us