Grantee Research Project Results
Urban water pollution extent and impact on the Village Creek in Birmingham, AL - analysis and mitigation strategies
EPA Grant Number: SU840581Title: Urban water pollution extent and impact on the Village Creek in Birmingham, AL - analysis and mitigation strategies
Investigators: Karimi, Maryam , Nazari, Rouzbeh
Institution: The University of Alabama at Birmingham
EPA Project Officer: Cunniff, Sydney
Phase: I
Project Period: August 1, 2023 through July 31, 2024
Project Amount: $25,000
RFA: 19th Annual P3 Awards: A National Student Design Competition Focusing on People, Prosperity and the Planet Request for Applications (RFA) (2022) RFA Text | Recipients Lists
Research Category: P3 Awards , P3 Challenge Area - Sustainable and Healthy Communities
Description:
Rapid urbanization along the Village Creek in Birmingham led to the light and heavy industries being set up along the rivers, which became the main source of surface and groundwater pollution in this area. The majority of the rapid urbanization occurred in the minority and low-income communities due to racialized urban development influenced by the Home Owners Loan Corporation (HOLC) impacting pre-dominantly African American, American Indian and Alaska Native, Native Hawaiian, and other Pacific Islanders communities. With the Village Creek River experiencing increased flooding over the years and with about 80 percent of the city lying in a 100-year flood plain zone with moderate- to high- risk of flooding, the transportation of pollutants in the form of sediments can affect the communities lying within the high-risk flood zone areas increasing their vulnerability to flash flooding and exposure to toxic pollutants.
This project aims to analyze the movement of pollutants around the area and study the vulnerability of the communities living along the Village Creek River and in the flood-risk zones along the river to pollutants and promote inclusion of Low Impact Developments (LIDs) and green infrastructures (GI) to mitigate this issue.
Objective:
The primary objective of this study is to (1) provide a platform for the public to access information regarding the pollutant exposure and high-risk areas in an easily understandable format, and (2) propose modified mitigation strategies such as floating gardens, pollution absorbing rain gardens, and bioswales in the impacted communities.
Approach:
This project will focus on quantifying water pollution along and in the Village Creek by:
1. Studying the movement of pollutant sediments and identifying the flood risk zones for distinguishing the high-risk exposure zones.
2. Assigning risk levels/grades by characterizing the hazards and vulnerability factors of the communities along the river to prioritize the high-risk exposure sites for implementing mitigation strategies.
3. Identifying and modifying potential LIDs and GIs that could be implemented to combine pollution reduction and flood mitigation strategies.
4. Designing measures to evaluate the project sustainability and socio-economic and environmental impact over time.
5. Designing survey to analyze knowledge uptake regarding sediment pollutant transportation and exposure, and adoption of LIDs and GIs by the prioritized communities.
6. Developing a website to educate, and inform the general public about the exposure risks, modify regulatory policies and check pollution, and raise champions to protect the water source, wildlife, and communities in this area.
Expected Results:
Project outcomes/outputs will include:
1. Vulnerability Hazard map to identify the communities at risk of exposure to pollutants, including those residing in the high flood risk zones.
2. Informative website providing information regarding the type of pollutants in the area, risk zones, and potential solutions to minimize/avoid exposure, ongoing mitigation actions, and the project development stage.
3. Modified LIDs and GIs design including floating gardens along the river, phytoremediation in pollution absorbing bio-retention cells, and water filtering bioswales.
Supplemental Keywords:
Urban Rivers, Water pollution, Surface run-offs, HEC-RAS, WASP8, GIs, LIDs, Sustainable development, Resiliency, Community ParticipationThe 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.