Grantee Research Project Results

2018 Progress Report: Community-enabled Lifecycle Analysis of Stormwater Infrastructure Costs (CLASIC)

EPA Grant Number: R836173
Title: Community-enabled Lifecycle Analysis of Stormwater Infrastructure Costs (CLASIC)
Investigators: Zhang, Harry , Sharvelle, Sybil , Pomeroy, Christine , Cotting, Jennifer , Pugh, Michele , Liner, Barry
Current Investigators: Zhang, Harry , Sharvelle, Sybil , Throwe, Joanne M , Pomeroy, Christine , Buzzard, Angela
Institution: Water Research Foundation , University of Maryland - College Park , Wichita State University , Colorado State University , University of Utah
Current Institution: Water Research Foundation , Colorado State University , University of Maryland - College Park , University of Utah , Wichita State University
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, 2018 through March 31,2019
Project Amount: $1,949,785
RFA: National Priorities: Life Cycle Costs of Water Infrastructure Alternatives (2015) RFA Text |  Recipients Lists
Research Category: Water Quality , Water , Water Treatment

Objective:

The goal of the Community-enabled Lifecycle Analysis of Stormwater Infrastructure (CLASIC) Platform is to develop a transparent, robust, peer-reviewed, end-user informed and accessible Life Cycle Cost (LCC) framework model for stormwater infrastructure alternatives that can accommodate regional and scale variations to support integrated planning. This will be accomplished through five integrated objectives:

1. LCC Framework Model development to develop an integrated, standardized approach.
2. Data collection of existing data sources on construction, operations, maintenance, and replacement costs of grey and green infrastructure solutions based on protocols and structure developed under the LCC Model.
3. Data analysis and standardization to analyze, standardize, and compile the data collected in a relational database with structure consistent with the LCC/LCA Model that can be used to support tool development.
4. Decision support tools that are publically available in an enduring and enabling platform for use by the urban water community that works easily at scale, fosters innovation, and promotes collaboration.
5. Community engagement to ensure all products developed are scientifically sound, accurately reflect community needs, and supported and implemented by end users.

Progress Summary:

The CLASIC tool is a user-informed screening tool which utilizes a lifecycle cost framework to support stormwater infrastructure decisions on extent and combinations of green, hybrid green-gray and gray infrastructure practices.

The expected users of the CLASIC tool include managers and operators of regulated stormwater systems, managers and operators of any unit of municipal government with dedicated funding for stormwater management and consultants to those groups.

The Life Cycle Cost (LCC) analysis framework and life stages align closely with the types of decisions and analysis relevant to CLASIC target users. This focus emphasizes performance as it relates to a clearly-defined geographic area and the reality of both capital and operational budget constraints. LCC assists in understanding how varying allocation of resources across life stages impacts overall performance. The innovation that LCC analysis method in CLASIC tool provides to its municipal stormwater audience is not only the coupling of cost and performance of stormwater BMP scenarios, but also makes explicit the importance of management decisions such as maintenance choices on total lifetime costs.

The major differences of CLAISC decision support system from existing tools are:

1. The CLASIC tool is hosted on cloud-based platform (eRAMS; https://erams.com/) so that it will be geographical information system (GIS) interfaced and include interaction with national databases to upload data for the modeled area;
2. The CLASIC tool has incorporated the rigorous Life Cycle Cost analysis framework to integrate institutional context, financing strategies and programmatic objectives, by collaborating with two EPA�s Environmental Finance Centers (EFCs);
3. The CLASIC tool integrates Multiple-Criteria Decision Analysis (MCDA) that enables consideration of co-benefits for green infrastructures based on rigorous assessment of life cycle costs and benefits.

A pre-beta version of CLASIC tool was developed and through various testing for enhancements. The BMP technologies in the CLASIC tool are categorized according to deployment strategy and primary technology function.

1. Volume-based Filtration Technologies (e.g., Rain Gardens, Grass Swales, Infiltration Trenches and Sand Filters);
2. Volume-based Detention Technologies (e.g., Extended Detention Basin and Wet Pond);
3. Volume-based Reclamation/Storage Technologies (e.g., Stormwater Harvesting and Storage Vaults/Tunnels);
4. Area-based Filtration/Volume Reduction Technologies (e.g., Green Roofs, Permeable Pavement and Vegetated Buffer);
5. Other (e.g., Stream Restoration).

Through community engagement, presentations were given through webcast and at various national and regional conferences to seek broad feedbacks from potential users and general public.

In summary, there are three integrated components in the CLASIC decision support system: (a) Life Cycle Cost; (b) Performance; and (c) Co-Benefits. Three main components to the CLASIC tool outputs are: life cycle costs, performance of stormwater infrastructure; and results from co-benefits / triple bottom line analysis (TBL). The TBL analysis will be informed via multi-criteria decision analysis (MCDA) output. The MCDA will provide quantitative output to compare co-benefits across scenarios of technology selection and the LCC will inform life cycle costs and considerations of scenarios selected by the user. These three components of outputs are intended to work synergistically to inform decisions on scenarios for integrated stormwater management.

Future Activities:

In the next report period, the CLASIC decision support system will go through rigorous beta testing process with utilities and municipalities across broad geographic regions. The cloud-based CLASIC tool will be ready for public use. The case studies through community engagement efforts will be summarized to demonstrate the application of CLASIC decision support system at different geographic locations across the country. The expected results will be increased confidence in comparisons of both costs and benefits of green and gray stormwater infrastructure alternatives by communities.

Journal Articles:

No journal articles submitted with this report: View all 27 publications for this project

Supplemental Keywords:

Stormwater Management, Green Infrastructure, Gray Infrastructure, Cloud Technology, Database, Triple Bottom Line, Co-Benefits, Integrated Planning Framework, One Water, Integrated Urban Water Management

Relevant Websites:

The Water Research Foundation Exit

Progress and Final Reports:

Original Abstract

2016 Progress Report

2017 Progress Report

2019 Progress Report

Final Report