Path to Clean Water

Current land development usually involves a large increase in impermeable area over the natural environment. In the past, the way that most cities have handled stormwater was to quickly convey it to a nearby river or lake. This entails building extensive infrastructure and sewers. Managing a large volume of water in a hard system like this also entails a potential disaster if this system is overwhelmed.

Low Impact Development (LID) offers an alternative approach to stormwater management. LID stresses the importance of lot-level control for stormwater. Reducing the amount of water entering the exisiting sewers offers an opportunity for effective watershed protection that advocates are trying to make a primary element for smart growth and green development.

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