Choosing the right green infrastructure to combat stormwater runoff can be difficult, but a new EPA tool aims to make the process easier.
The National Stormwater Calculator estimates your runoff based on local soil conditions, slope, land cover, and historical rainfall records, then presents different scenarios to help you assess the potential impact of different infrastructure improvements.
Recommendations range from affordable changes like rain barrels and rain gardens to higher-profile investments like green roofs. An update planned for later this year will allow users to link to future climate scenarios such as heavy precipitation events.
Reducing your stormwater runoff can help you avoid associated fees, as well as protecting local waterways and drinking water resources from pollutants.
To see which green investments your site could benefit from, check out the calculator at www.epa.gov.
