CSO #5Green Infrastructure

Opportunities

Location

CSO #5 “Sewershed”

Green Infrastructure• Essentially makes an urban environment act

a little more like a natural environment.• Reduces costs for MSD - less stormwater

gets into the system, thus MSD can spend less on expensive new “gray” infrastructure.

• Lots of knock-on benefits for the environment: lower cooling demands, less erosion, esthetics.

• Knock-on benefits for the community: revitalization, nuisance flood avoidance, more green!

Green Infrastructure - Examples

Pervious Pavement Apron

Pervious Asphalt

RainBarrel

Green Infrastructure - Examples

Green Roofs

Detention Ponds

Rain Gardens

We need YOU!• Sierra Club is urging MSD to

start mitigating CSO #5 immediately, using every Green Infrastructure tool, at every opportunity in the sewershed.

• We (including MSD) need the community behind this to make it happen!

Possible Support• Community Councils

– Forward-looking image– Revitalization platform

• City Council– Image & revitalization, but also helps with

Consent Decree expenses

• MSD– Stated Green Infrastructure policy– Could fund revitalization platform as part of

Consent Decree

• Other institutions & organizations?

Neighborhoods

Strategies

• City is the biggest landowner, most important sites.

• Board of Ed. is also big.• Several major private owners

have mostly scattered sites.• City could set an example,

maybe bring along other large owners.

Strategic Land Owners

Strategies

•Vacant land and buildings = Opportunities!

•Turn Consent Decree into revitalization platform

Vacant & Strategic Land Uses

Condemned Buildings

Opportunities

Implementation• Sierra Club

– Work with Community Councils & Other Local Groups

– Help with strategy

• City Council– Overlay district?– Property owners required to implement Green

Infrastructure techniques that MSD funds through Consent Decree

• MSD– Seems supportive– Part of Consent Decree