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Cost Comparison of Conventional Gray Combined Sewer Overflow Control Infrastructure versus a Green/Gray Combination
Citation:
Cohen, J. P., R. I. FIELD, A. N. TAFURI, AND M. A. Ports. Cost Comparison of Conventional Gray Combined Sewer Overflow Control Infrastructure versus a Green/Gray Combination. Journal of Irrigation and Drainage Engineering. American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE), Reston, VA, 138(6):534-540, (2012).
Impact/Purpose:
To inform the public.
Description:
This paper outlines a life-cycle cost analysis comparing a green (rain gardens) and gray (tunnels) infrastructure combination to a gray-only option to control combined sewer overflow in the Turkey Creek Combined Sewer Overflow Basin, in Kansas City, MO. The plan area of this Basin is 5,554 acres. This life-cycle cost analysis is based on a spreadsheet that allows the user to vary the length and/or the diameter of the tunnels. The spreadsheet calculates the additional number of rain gardens that would be needed to handle a given amount of stormwater when the tunnel sizes are reduced. The difference in life-cycle costs between the green/gray and gray-only alternatives is calculated. For a range of options for the number of rain gardens, the green/gray combined alternative is more cost effective than the gray-only option, and the potential cost savings could reach as much as $35 million for the Turkey Creek Basin.
