Seattle to Rely on Green Stormwater Infrastructure

"In light of polluted stormwater runoff threatening water quality in Puget Sound, Seattle Mayor Edward B. Murray today released a draft citywide Green Stormwater Infrastructure Strategy, outlining plans to accelerate green infrastructure approaches for preventing this type of water pollution," according to a press release posted on the WaterWorld website.

The post also includes a description of the infrastructure behind the city's plan to reduce stormwater pollution: "Green stormwater infrastructure (GSI) prevents overflows and pollution much like a forest would -- by slowing and cleaning the water and either reusing it or allowing it to soak back through the soil. Examples of GSI include roadside bioretention swales and street trees that manage street runoff; rain gardens and cisterns that manage roof runoff; and green roofs and permeable pavement that are self-managing."

The plan is intended as a response to Seattle City Council Resolution 31459, which, in 2013, "challenged Seattle to rely on GSI to manage stormwater runoff wherever possible and set an aggressive target to manage 700 million gallons of stormwater runoff annually with GSI by the year 2025 -- a seven-fold increase over the city's 2012 baseline," according to the post.