Proper stormwater management lies at the heart of sustainable building and has consequences far beyond the building site.
A typical shopping center, for example, with its minimal landscaping, and thousands of square feet of roof and impervious paving, is a huge burden on the established water cycle. In almost any rain event this site has to deal with thousands of gallons of water, which it cannot absorb or filter, as it flows across paved areas absorbing heat, leaked oil, and litter as it rushes towards the drainage grate. Yes, luckily some of the water makes a stop in the retention pond to be released slowly into the stream, but not all of it does, and the water that does go straight to the stream will quickly overwhelm the waterway as hundreds of similar sites experience the same rain event.
Knoxville’s First Creek as seen flowing past the Old City neighborhood in 2005. The site looks similar today.
This excess stormwater problem has forced many of our local streams and creeks into underground pipes or deep drainage channels to prevent them form flooding.
But there is a better way, where we can learn from nature and deal with the incoming rainwater on site, thus decreasing the burden placed on our local waterways. There are new regulations that mandate us to do more.
We hope you will join the East TN USGBC panel of experts as they discuss the new regulations and share with you the green infrastructure strategies for dealing with stormwater on site, from underground filtration and storage systems to above ground solutions that enhance the beauty of the site while providing habitat for native plants and animals.
David W. Hagerman, City of Knoxville Engineering Stormwater Management
Chris Granju, Knox County Stormwater Department Head
Guy Wantiez, Civil Engineer at Vision Engineering, Maryville Tennessee
DATE: Friday, November 16, 2012
Knoxville RSVP Deadline: Wednesday, October 15
TIME: 11:30am- 1:00pm
LOCATION: The Foundry On The Fair Site
747 Worlds Fair Park Drive Knoxville, TN 37902
FOR KNOXVILLE, Nov. 16 RSVP:easttnusgbc@gmail.com
