Sustainable Stormwater Solutions
October 17, 2024
Municipalities are seeking cost-effective and innovative strategies for stormwater management infrastructure investments. In many cases, retaining water on-site through green stormwater infrastructure (GSI) proves to be more cost-effective than traditional gray infrastructure. McFadden Engineering provides environmental engineering services to aid in the creation of GSI to ultimately reduce flood risks.
Examples of GSI include underground storage, infiltration systems and underground infiltration trenches. Hydraulic modeling can also be used to simulate and prepare for worst case scenarios so that designs can be implemented to mitigate flood risks. Municipalities using green stormwater infrastructure can save hundreds of millions of dollars in flood losses from applying GSI practices as well as other good engineering designs to new developments and redevelopment projects.
A climate study conducted in 2020 found that 5.9 million U.S. properties likely faced significant flood risks, despite being outside FEMA-recognized floodplains. This study compared flood-risk models with the U.S. Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) maps. In response, FEMA implemented the Federal Flood Risk Management Standard (FFRMS) policy on September 9, 2024, to better align federal floodplain designations with current climate science.
The FFRMS policy applies to all FEMA-funded projects. The new rule expands regulatory floodplain coverage and imposes stricter resilience standards for federally funded projects within these floodplains, applying to new constructions, significant improvements, climate adaptation projects and major repairs to damaged structures.
To maintain compliance with FEMA’s FFRMS policy for all FEMA-funded projects, municipalities can build stormwater infrastructure, including GSI, on public lands as needed. GSI enables municipalities to analyze future precipitation rates and evaluate costs, reductions in runoff and co-benefits of various stormwater management scenarios.
GSI can treat urban runoff pollution, replenish groundwater and reduce erosion in headwater streams. Ultimately, GSI provides sustainable solutions with improved air quality, enhanced property values and better social well-being.
McFadden Engineering’s team of water and wastewater experts specializes in providing environmentally sound solutions to solve unique civil and environmental engineering needs. Based in Mobile, Ala. for more than 30 years, McFadden Engineering has worked on projects including municipal, commercial and industrial dischargers. McFadden has a wealth of experience in stormwater management and flood plain modeling to assist clients with stormwater projects. Visit mcfaddenengineering.com for more information.