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U.S. EPA National Stormwater Calculator: City of Birmingham, AL. Demonstration
Citation:
Bernagros, J. U.S. EPA National Stormwater Calculator: City of Birmingham, AL. Demonstration. EnviroAtlas/Stormwater Calculator Webinar, Birmingham, AL, November 01, 2018.
Impact/Purpose:
To present to EPA Region 4 and city of Birmingham, AL. the National Stormwater Calculator. The demonstration shows how the calculator may be used to estimate stormwater runoff reductions and capital and maintenance costs of low impact development/green infrastructure stormwater controls in Birmingham, AL. R4 and city staff will be provided with initial training on how to use the National Stormwater Calculator for their stormwater management planning and design interests and needs.
Description:
Stormwater discharges continue to cause impairment of our Nation’s waterbodies. In order to reduce impairment, EPA has developed the National Stormwater Calculator (SWC) to help support local, state, and national stormwater management objectives and regulatory efforts to reduce runoff through infiltration and retention using green infrastructure practices as low impact development (LID) controls. The primary focus of the SWC is to inform site developers on how well they can meet a desired stormwater retention target with and without the use of green infrastructure. It can also be used by landscapers and homeowners. The SWC is available as a Windows-based desktop program and as a mobile web application compatible with all operating systems, which can be used on mobile devices such as smartphones and tablets. Both versions require an internet connection. An LID cost estimation module within the application allows planners and managers to evaluate LID controls based on comparison of regional and national project planning level cost estimates (capital and average annual maintenance) and predicted LID control performance. Cost estimation is accomplished based on user-identified size configuration of the LID control infrastructure and other key project and site-specific variables. This includes whether the project is being applied as part of new development or redevelopment and if there are existing site constraints. The SWC allows users to consider how runoff may vary based both on historical weather and potential future climate conditions. To better inform decisions, it is recommended that users develop a range of SWC results with various assumptions about model inputs. Please check with local authorities about whether and how use of these tools may support local stormwater management goals.