The Water Environment Research Foundation (WERF) is requesting proposals for research that will provide education, outreach and training on decentralized storm water management techniques to critical target audiences in order to supplement existing storm water management approaches; create more hydrologically functional site designs; provide new tools for urban retrofit; reduce the overall design, construction and maintenance costs of the storm water management infrastructure; help address larger watershed-scale goals.
WERF will provide $112,000 for the development of innovative tools and training that lead to greater awareness, understanding and use of decentralized storm water management techniques; appropriate implementation for storm water management; improved water quality; energy savings; and other benefits (e.g., aesthetics).
Traditionally, management of urban storm water runoff utilized efficient drainage and conveyance systems, along with centralized treatment such as storm water management ponds. Due to growing concerns about the economic and environmental sustainability of conventional management approaches, the public and private sector are working on alternative decentralized storm water techniques, including low-impact development and green infrastructure.
Although decentralized storm water techniques are gaining wider adoption, there are still many potential stakeholders who are not fully aware of the variety, design and benefits of these techniques. Decentralized approaches manage storm water at the source (site level) using multiple techniques to control the quality and quantity of storm water runoff. These methods include rain gardens, porous pavement, cisterns, vegetated roofs and many other practices. These techniques offer a multitude of other potential benefits including beneficial reuse of storm water for landscape irrigation to special purposes in buildings (e.g., toilet flushing); urban ecological restoration; and combined sewer overflow reduction.
Proposals must be received before June 20, 2008. For more information, visit www.werf.org or contact Program Manager Jane Casteline at [email protected].
Source: The Water Environment Research Foundation
