Report Released on Obstacles in Building Green Infrastructure

The Clean Water America Alliance (CWAA) released a report, “Barriers and Gateways to Green Infrastructure,” today in an international webcast as part of the Virtual H2O conference. It is based on a national survey conducted last spring that solicited more than 200 utilities, NGOs, and government and private entities to determine what sorts of obstacles they experienced when implementing programs.

“Green infrastructure comes in many shades and slices and so do the benefits and barriers,” said CWAA President Ben Grumbles. “Green infrastructure pioneers need support, guidelines and assurances to create the foundation of practice needed for more common adoption.”

The report summarizes the results of the survey and is informed by the ongoing green infrastructure research and education programs of the CWAA. Recommendations were developed and refined through conversations with partner organizations, including American Rivers, the Conservation Fund, Low Impact Development Center, Smart Growth America and the CWAA’s Urban Water Sustainability Council. The research survey was funded by the Turner Foundation to help inform the U.S. EPA’s upcoming storm water regulations, due to be released Dec. 2. The report can be downloaded at http://bit.ly/gireport.

The report will also be a stimulus for advancing policy and practice at the upcoming Urban Water Sustainability Leadership Conference taking place Oct. 3 to 5 in Milwaukee. Nancy Stoner, EPA’s acting assistant administrator for water, will address the storm water rule and how it will impact urban water management.

Key recommendations of the report include urging EPA to use new storm water regulations and permits to help drive green infrastructure, fully measure and account for economic and environmental benefits, embrace regional flexibility and results-oriented approaches, and focus increased federal funding for green infrastructure initiatives.

Source: Clean Water America Alliance