Grantee Research Project Results

2019 Progress Report: An Integrated Decision Support Tool (I-DST) for Life-Cycle Cost Assessment and Optimization of Green, Grey, and Hybrid Stormwater Infrastructure

EPA Grant Number: R836174
Title: An Integrated Decision Support Tool (I-DST) for Life-Cycle Cost Assessment and Optimization of Green, Grey, and Hybrid Stormwater Infrastructure
Investigators: Hogue, Terri , Horvath, Arpad , McCray, John , Higgins, Christopher , Stokes, Jennifer , Geza, Mengistu , McDonald, Rob , Grubert, Emily
Institution: Colorado School of Mines , The Nature Conservancy , University of California - Berkeley
EPA Project Officer: Packard, Benjamin H
Project Period: April 1, 2016 through March 31, 2020 (Extended to March 31, 2021)
Project Period Covered by this Report: April 1, 2019 through March 31,2020
Project Amount: $1,949,462
RFA: National Priorities: Life Cycle Costs of Water Infrastructure Alternatives (2015) RFA Text | Recipients Lists
Research Category: Water

Objective:

Develop an integrated Decision Support Tool (i-DST) that allows for optimization and life-cycle cost assessment (LCCA) of grey, green, and hybrid stormwater infrastructure alternatives and is adaptable across the regional climate, policies, and practices of the United States. The tool will have separate modules for: (a) watershed-scale hydrology and water quality, (b) site-scale hydrology and water quality, (c) LCCA, and (d) co-benefit analysis and post processing.

Progress Summary:

Watershed-scale Hydrology/Water Quality Module

The Watershed Scale GUI has been switched over to Qt/C++ which is easier and faster to use, less error prone, gives the user and future coders more control, and has more portability than the original Excel GUI.
Completed modeling on two test sites in Los Angeles and Denver

Site-scale Hydrology/Water Quality Module

Completed development of water quality module
Completed development and testing of SCM placement tool coupled with SWMM
Tool was demonstrated through a case study

Co-benefit Module

Created a framework for assessing hydrologic and vegetation-based benefits
Finalized the procedure for including hydrologic-based benefits and potential vegetated area into the watershed-scale hydrologic model

Life Cycle Assessment / Life Cycle Cost Assessment Module

Completed LCC / LCA module for distributed infrastructure and accompanying user guide
Piloted and validated LCC / LCA module for distributed infrastructure
Developed energy and economic cost regression equations for grey infrastructure to estimate energy costs from these cities.

Future Activities:

Watershed-scale Hydrology/Water Quality Module

Fully integrate watershed module with the LCC and benefit analysis modules
Internal stress testing and beta testing of the tool
Development of case studies using the watershed tool including watershed in Denver, Los Angeles, and Charlotte
Prepare user manual for i-DST SUSTAIN and GUI interface

Site-scale Hydrology/Water Quality Module

Test and refine hydrologic, water quality and BMP selection modules within the i-DSTss
Develop, test and refine graphical user interface for recently developed GIP-SWMM
Prepare user manual for i-DSTss and GIP-SWMM

Co-benefit Module

Finish integration of benefit analysis into the tool
Finish co-benefit factsheets

Life Cycle Assessment and Life Cycle Cost Assessment Module

Publish distributed infrastructure tool and corresponding manuscript
Integrate grey infrastructure tool and complete case studies

Journal Articles on this Report : 4 Displayed | Download in RIS Format

Publications Views
Other project views:	All 28 publications	12 publications in selected types	All 12 journal articles

Publications
Type	Citation	Project	Document Sources
Journal Article	Shojaeizadeh A, Geza M, McCray J, Hogue TS. Site-scale integrated decision support tool (i-DSTss) for stormwater management. Water 2019;11(10):2022.	R836174 (2019) R836174 (Final)	Full-text: Full text Exit Abstract: Abstract Exit
Journal Article	Spahr KM, Bell CD, McCray JE, Hogue TS. Greening up stormwater infrastructure:Measuring vegetation to establish context and promote cobenefits in a diverse set of US cities. Urban Forestry & Urban Greening 2020;48:126548.	R836174 (2019) R836174 (Final)	Full-text: Full text Exit Abstract: Abstract Exit
Journal Article	Grubert E, Stokes-Draut J. Mitigation Life Cycle Assessment:Best Practices from LCA of Energy and Water Infrastructure That Incurs Impacts to Mitigate Harm. Energies 2020;13(4):992.	R836174 (2019) R836174 (Final)	Full-text: Full text Exit Abstract: Abstract Exit
Journal Article	Gallo E, Bell C, Mika K, Gold M, Hogue TS. Stormwater Management Options and Decision-Making in Urbanized Watersheds of Los Angeles, California. Journal of Sustainable Water in the Built Environment 2020;6(2):04020003.	R836174 (2019) R836174 (Final)	Abstract: Abstract Exit

Supplemental Keywords:

Stormwater; best management practices; optimization; life cycle cost; life cycle assessment;

Relevant Websites:

Integrated Decision Support Tools Exit

Progress and Final Reports:

Original Abstract

The perspectives, information and conclusions conveyed in research project abstracts, progress reports, final reports, journal abstracts and journal publications convey the viewpoints of the principal investigator and may not represent the views and policies of ORD and EPA. Conclusions drawn by the principal investigators have not been reviewed by the Agency.