North Texas Municipal Water District (NTMWD) recently installed green stormwater infrastructure (GSI), also called low-impact development, at a building and parking lot near its administrative offices in Wylie. GSI projects are designed to slow fast-moving stormwater using methods that mimic the natural environment.
NTMWD services some of the fastest-growing counties in the United States. The rapid growth brings miles of new roads and thousands of new roofs every year, and these impervious surfaces change how stormwater flows across our watersheds. Most infrastructure is built to move water off the roads and into storm drains as quickly as possible, preventing the gradual absorption of stormwater into the soil.
According to David Cowan, NTMWD Watershed Manager, fast-moving stormwater can increase erosion and cause water quality issues.
“With heavy rains, all the water that lands on impervious surfaces is going to rush into a storm drain,” he said. “It's going to flow into a stream, and the erosion that takes place is much greater than if you have, let's say, a field with native grasses.”
#water #watershed #waterquality #greenstormwater #stormwater #infrastructure #environment