How Washington D.C is Addressing Stormwater Management
Green Roof at American University in Washington D.C
Washington D.C has over five million square feet of green roofs! The city is using green roofs as a low-impact development technique to manage stormwater runoff. Properties within the Municipal Separate Storm Sewer System (MS4) Area are eligible to participate in the RiverSmart Rooftops Rebate Program. RiverSmart programs help to reduce stormwater runoff that harms the District’s waterways and the Chesapeake Bay. RiverSmart programs provide financial incentives to help property owners install green infrastructures such as rain barrels, green roofs, rain gardens, permeable pavers, and shade trees. These green infrastructure technologies manage rainwater on-site and reduce pollution.
What is The District RiverSmart Rooftops Program?
The District RiverSmart Rooftops Program was started in 2006 to increase the installation of green roofs District-wide. DC’s Department of Energy & Environment (DOEE) offers a rebate of $15 per square foot for voluntary installations of green roofs. Properties of all sizes including residential, commercial, and institutional are encouraged to apply for the rebate. A structural engineering rebate is available for buildings with a footprint of 2,500 square feet or less. Green roofs installed as a part of the RiverSmart Rooftops Rebate program are also eligible to participate in DOEE’s Stormwater Retention Credit trading program.
What is D.C.’s Stormwater Retention Credit Trading Program?
Washington D.C. has introduced a stormwater credit trading program, which allows you to generate and sell Stormwater Retention Credits (SRCs) to earn revenue for projects that reduce harmful stormwater runoff. This can be done by installing green infrastructure or removing impervious surfaces. Property owners who are planning construction or landscaping should consider installing SRC-generating green infrastructure, as it is typically more cost-effective to integrate before construction begins. SRCs are a good option for sites that do not trigger the District’s stormwater management regulations. These credits can also be sold on an open market, where they fluctuate in price...just like stocks or carbon credits.
Sites located in the MS4 also have the opportunity to participate in the SRC Price Lock Program, where eligible SRC generators have the option to sell SRCs to DOEE at fixed prices. For any project draining to Combined Sewer System (CSS) storage tunnels, you can achieve 100% of your retention requirement with SRCs, if they are generated in the MS4. All other sites must achieve 50% of the required on-site before using SRCs unless they receive approval from DOEE, in which case they can meet more than 50% of their requirement off-site.
Urbanstrong’s Green Roof for Stormwater Management
Green roofs let you manage stormwater right where it lands (on the roof) and reduce or eliminate the need for cisterns. Subsurface retention tanks are expensive to supply and install and provide no other benefits. They also take up valuable real estate space that could be used for things like parking spaces, storage, or retail.
