Get Your Feet Wet

People are encouraged to think ‘green’ but your goal is to be green. It is more than getting high performance windows or a hybrid car. There are a number of ways to reduce our daily impact on the environment. One of the most critical aspects still often overlooked is storm water management and how it impacts site development. The landscape and how we develop and maintain its resources is at the core of our sustainability.

We are at a pivotal point in how we manage our water resources as it relates to storm water. It goes beyond the typical gutters and catch basins you see on the roadways. As stewards of the environment, we must take further steps. Historically, our concerns were focused on managing and controlling the flow of storm water. Now, it is a matter of managing the quality of the water, which adds another layer to the development process. It may sound dry to the lay person but it is worth wetting your palette on the storm water subject, especially if you are undertaking any type of new construction or extensive site development. Every year, towns and cities are adopting new regulations that require such things as infiltrators to manage roof water and run-off from impervious surfaces. If you want to know more about how federal legislation will eventually impact states and municipalities, you should review the current storm water management regulations taking place in DC. http://asla.org/ContentDetail.aspx?id=23270 Some Massachusetts’ cities and towns, specifically those under heavy developmental pressure, have already adopted a number of these storm water regulations.

So tread softly when you leave your footprints. Don’t take our drinking water for granted. Jump in and get your feet wet on the storm water subject. The quote for the day is by Livy. “We fear things in proportion to our ignorance of them.” Hence, it is the reason we should always educate ourselves on important subjects, specifically those that sustain us.
Image from the Internet