Using Green Infrastructure to Address Clean Water Act Enforcement
Use the table below to explore how communities have implemented green infrastructure to comply with Clean Water Act enforcement requirements.
| City (County) | State | Population Size1 | Consent Decree Date | Green Infrastructure Related to Compliance Requirements | Keywords | More information |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Akron | OH | 190,000 | 2009 | Through a second amendment to their consent decree, Akron was able to substitute two storage basins for a combination of green infrastructure and additional conveyance systems, saving $77 million. | Combining gray and green | |
| Atlanta | GA | 500,000 | 1998 (amended in 1999) | Atlanta has aligned their Green Infrastructure Action Plan with their wet weather consent decree strategies. This included establishing ordinances that require green infrastructure for new development. See the Community Spotlight for further information. |
City programming | |
| Boston | MA | 680,000 | 2012 | Boston Sewer and Water Commission is implementing green infrastructure demonstration projects in high-trafficked areas across the city, which showcase green infrastructure and address pollutant discharges. | Green streets | |
| Chattanooga | TN | 180,000 | 2013 | Chattanooga launched the RainSmart program that incentivizes rain gardens, rain barrels, and native plantings at residential properties. The initiative decreases the volume of water entering the sewer system. | Incentive program | |
| Chicago | IL | 2,750,000 | 2014 | Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago prioritizes green infrastructure projects where the need is greatest and they can improve socioeconomic conditions, specifically by benefiting communities experiencing environmental justice concerns. | Land conservation Environmental justice |
|
| Cincinnati (Hamilton County) |
OH | 830,000 | 2004 (amended in 2009) | Metropolitan Sewer District of Greater Cincinnati launched a program to engage the community and encourage installation of green infrastructure on private properties like the Cincinnati Zoo and local museums. | Community partnerships Land conservation |
|
| Cleveland (Cuyahoga County) |
OH | 1,260,000 | 2010 | Northeast Ohio Regional Sewer District created successful grant and sponsorship programs to fund green infrastructure in the community. | Community partnerships | |
| Evansville | IN | 120,000 | 2011 | Evansville launched Renew Evansville, a 25-year plan to improve the sewer system and address the city's consent decree, including a $22 million plan to implement various green infrastructure projects like green streets and parking structures. | Green parking Green streets |
|
| Kansas City (Wyandotte County) |
KS | 170,000 | 2013 | The Unified Government of Wyandotte County and Kansas City plans to pair bioswales with sewer separation activities to reduce overflows at several combined sewer overflow discharge points. | Combining gray and green | |
| Kansas City | MO | 510,000 | 2010 | The city's consent decree requires Kansas City to use green infrastructure to supplement gray controls. By 2022, the city had incorporated 287 green acres into neighborhoods across the city, including several with environmental justice concerns. | Environmental justice | |
| King County | WA | 1,530,000 | 2013 | King County's Rainwise program provides rebates to homeowners who install rain gardens and cisterns. By 2020, the program diverted rainwater from over 85,000 square feet of roof area. | Incentive programs | |
| Louisville (Jefferson County) |
KY | 780,000 | 2005 (amended in 2009) | In its long-term control plan, Louisville Metropolitan Sewer District (MSD) committed to implementing a series of green infrastructure programs, including downspout disconnection, residential rain gardens, rain barrels, and green roof incentives. MSD projects an initial overall savings of $40 million for green infrastructure compared to gray. They currently have over 100 active sites preventing stormwater from entering the combined sewer system. See the Community Spotlight for further information. |
Incentive programs | |
| Peoria | IL | 110,000 | 2021 | The city of Peoria and the Greater Peoria Sanitary District entered into a settlement agreement with EPA to implement a green infrastructure–based program to reduce CSOs. In the first five years of their new long-term control plan, they anticipate spending over $21 million on green infrastructure improvements while spending only $2 million on gray infrastructure. | Combining gray with green | |
| Philadelphia | PA | 1,600,000 | 2012 (partnership agreement and administrative order) | EPA and the city of Philadelphia signed a partnership agreement to collaborate on developing green infrastructure in Philadelphia, including a green design challenge, green streets, and next-generation techniques. The city committed approximately $1 billion to green infrastructure projects to address stormwater and sewer overflows. | Green streets | |
| St. Louis (St. Louis County) |
MO | 1,000,000 | 2011 | The city's consent decree requires the Metropolitan St. Louis Sewer District (MSD) to develop and pilot a green infrastructure program for three years, and to spend at least $100 million on construction by 2033. As part of the pilot phase, MSD is installing green infrastructure at various scales, including lots, blocks, and neighborhoods, focusing on abandoned and blighted properties on the north side of St. Louis. | Environmental justice Land conservation |
|
| Seattle | WA | 740,000 | 2013 | Seattle plans to reconstruct city rights-of-way to manage urban runoff through bioswales, under their Natural Drainage Systems Partnering project and per their long-term control plan. | Green streets | |
| South Bend | IN | 100,000 | 2011 | The city of South Bend reached an agreement with EPA to update their long-term control plan, which will save more than $400 million through a gray and green infrastructure approach. | Combining gray and green | |
| Washington | DC | 690,000 | 2005 (partnership agreement made in 2012) | DC Water encourages green infrastructure through both small- and large-scale projects. Their Green Alley Partnership installed seven permeable alleys in the city, and their Potomac River Project manages water from 75 impervious acres through gray and green infrastructure. See the Community Spotlight for further information. |
Combining gray and green Green streets |
1 Population size based on 2020 U.S. Census data.