Grantee Research Project Results

2017 Progress Report: Next Generation Volume Reduction Green Infrastructure Stormwater Control Measures in Support of Philadelphia's Green City Clean Waters Initiative

EPA Grant Number: R835556
Title: Next Generation Volume Reduction Green Infrastructure Stormwater Control Measures in Support of Philadelphia's Green City Clean Waters Initiative
Investigators: Traver, Robert , Clayton, Garrett M , Eisenman, Sasha W , Welker, Andrea , Wadzuk, Bridget , Shin, Hyeon-Shic , Hunter, James , Sen, Siddhartha , Sanders, Tonya
Current Investigators: Traver, Robert , Welker, Andrea , Wadzuk, Bridget , Clayton, Garrett M , Eisenman, Sasha W , Sen, Siddhartha , Sanders, Tonya , Hunter, James , Smith, Virginia , Shin, Hyeon-Shic
Institution: Villanova University , Morgan State University , Temple University
EPA Project Officer: Packard, Benjamin H
Project Period: September 1, 2013 through August 31, 2017 (Extended to August 31, 2018)
Project Period Covered by this Report: September 1, 2016 through August 31,2017
Project Amount: $1,000,000
RFA: Performance and Effectiveness of Green Infrastructure Stormwater Management Approaches in the Urban Context: A Philadelphia Case Study (2012) RFA Text | Recipients Lists
Research Category: Watersheds , Water

Objective:

In partnership with the Philadelphia Water Department, this project is focused on green infrastructure stormwater control measures (GI SCMs) to evaluate their performance and inform future designs in support of Philadelphia’s ‘Green City, Clean Waters’ program.
Task 1: Evaluate the current generation of GI SCMs to develop, design, and validate the next generation of GI SCMs
Task 2: Evaluate benefits of GI SCMs to neighborhoods
Task 3: Develop a collaborative research environment for GI within the Philadelphia Community
Task 4: Disseminate results and enhance STEM education

Progress Summary:

Task 1: data analysis from the Morris Leeds site has reached three important conclusions: 1) the system achieved 93% overall volume reduction, 2) the underdrain pipe is inadequate to transport runoff from the inlet to the infiltration bed, as 11 storms overflowed prior to the filling of the stone bed. Note that the capacity of the infiltration bed has never been fully utilized (Figure 1), and 3) the tree pits were found to be hydrologically disconnected from the infiltration bed, because no changes in tree evapotranspiration or tree pit soil moisture was observed during a simulated rainfall test (SRT). Through computer modeling, the low lateral and upward infiltration was determined to be the cause. For the Philadelphia Zoo site, multiple SRTs performed in Year 4 demonstrated that the SMP exceeded the design intent and the importance of infiltration and evapotranspiration to functionality. For the Roosevelt site, instrumentation was completed, and the available data showed complex interaction between the planter soil and infiltration bed, and the planters and the road surface through the curb cuts.

Villanova University also had improvements to the existing low-cost data logging system, and is testing a low-cost sensor system at this point. Temple University analyzed the monitoring data and found that London Plane has better drought tolerance compared to Hybrid Maple. During SRT, London Plane also showed higher evapotranspiration activities. Therefore, London Plane is a better choice for this GI applications.

Task 2: Morgan State University had progress in evaluating the impact of GIs to housing market, willingness to pay, and visual benefits of GIs. Many of these analyses are at the final stage. The results for visual benefits of GIs already showed that rain gardens provide the most effective improvement to the visual landscape.

Task 3 and Task 4: Completed, but Villanova University is still scheduling appearances in STEM activities under the auspices of VUSP funding.

Future Activities:

Over the next reporting period, the primary objectives will be to advance activities on all project tasks especially related to analyzing data and constructing models to test designs of next generation GIs, low cost instrumentation, and collaborative research with Temple and Morgan State.

Journal Articles:

No journal articles submitted with this report: View all 19 publications for this project

Supplemental Keywords:

Stormwater Control Measure, watersheds, cost-benefit, engineering, Pennsylvania (PA), green infrastructure, stormwater management, urban green space

Relevant Websites:

Villanova Center for the Advancement of Sustainability in Engineering (VCASE) Exit Exit Exit

Villanova Urban Stormwater Partnership's (VUSP) Exit 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.