Stormwater & Green Infrastructure Knowledge Center

The Stormwater & Green Infrastructure Knowledge Center offers technical information including research, books, manuals of practice, conference proceedings, training and networking opportunities, journals, and news stories.

About Stormwater & Green Infrastructure

    Stormwater refers to runoff from land and impervious areas such as paved streets, parking lots, and building rooftops during rainfall and snow events without the benefit of treatment. Stormwater discharges are a concern because they sometimes contain pollutants in quantities that could adversely affect water quality.  Many municipalities control stormwater discharges through best management practices which include green infrastructure and low impact development.

Technical Resources

• Reduce Runoff: Slow It Down, Spread It Out, Soak It In Produced by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Botanic Garden, this film showcases green techniques that are being used in urban areas to reduce the effects of stormwater runoff on the quality of downstream receiving waters.

• In October, the National Research Council (NRC) released an EPA-commissioned report, Urban Stormwater Management in the United States. Download the report: National Research Council Report on Urban Stormwater (PDF) (529 pp, 10.5MB). Read the February WE&T article on the report.
  
• EPA stormwater outreach materials
  
• EPA Stormwater Case Studies
  EPA developed a series of searchable stormwater case studies to help municipal separate storm sewer systems (MS4s) get started on or improve their stormwater management programs.
  
• International Stormwater BMP Database
  Features over 300 BMP studies, performance analysis results, tools for use in BMP performance studies, monitoring guidance and other study-related publications.
  
• Taking it to the Streets: Urban Rain Gardens Help a Michigan City Manage Stormwater, Educate Public 
  Article published July 2008 in WE&T
  
•  More... 

Stormwater Utility Resources

• EPA-Region 1 Stormwater, LID and TMDL fact sheets
• Making the Case for a Stormwater Capital Recovery Fee
  
  More...
  

Education & Training

• 2010 Collection Systems Specialty Conference
  June 13-16, 2010
  Phoenix, Arizona
  
• WEFTEC.09 will have 8 sessions covering stormwater issues. Visit weftec.org for updates on program information.

Opportunities for Involvement 

• Sustainability Community of Practice

        Stormwater & Green Infrastructure Taskforce
        WEF staff contact:
        Matt Ries
        Phone: (703) 684-2406
        Fax: (703) 684-2413
        Email: mries@wef.org 

• WEF Committees
  
  
• Collection Systems
  WEF staff contact:
  Christine Radke
  703-684-2400 x 7013
  cradke@wef.org 
  
•  Watershed Management  
  WEF staff contact:
  Greg McNelly
  703-684-2400 x 7450
  gmcnelly@wef.org