Low impact development is an innovative storm water management approach being applied successfully in many areas of the United States and internationally.  Prince George’s County, Maryland has been a leader in the application of bioretention technology.  The USEPA is encouraging the application of LID techniques, and the technology is being transferred through the Low Impact Development Center, Inc. The approach is a method of getting the rainfall into the ground as close as possible to the point where it landed. It has been explained as a basic principle to model nature. The basic premise is storm water should be managed on site in lieu of storm water piping systems, retention basins, and end of pipe systems.  LID techniques include landscaping features typically located on site with the purpose of getting the water back into the ground.  The principles that may be appropriate include bioretention, green roofs, permeable pavements, the use of rain barrels and cisterns, soil amendments and tree box filters. The use of LID techniques is not without controversy among planners and developers. However, it is another tool available to assist in storm water management, and its application should be considered.

In Colonial Heights

LID as a tool in Colonial Heights will be limited because of the extent of development and small amount of developable land remaining.  Certainly as individual parcels are being considered for commercial, industrial, multi or single family housing, the planners and site engineers should consider the techniques during the planning and design process. The techniques are just as applicable to redevelopment of an existing site as they are to a new site. If you would like to apply these techniques, discuss the project with the City Engineer prior to starting the design to get the benefit of prior planning that may have taken place or techniques that have been tried and were unsuccessful.

Further resources:

USEPA Low Impact Development,  www.epa.gov/owow/nps/lid/

Low Impact Development Center, www.lid-stormwater.net and lidstormwater@lowimpactdevelopment.org

Natural Resources Defense Council, www.nrdc.org/water/pollution/storm/stoinx.asp

Fairfax County, VA, Public Works Manual, www.fairfaxcounty.gov/gov/DPWES/publications/pfm/pfm_mai n.htm

USEPA Polluted Runoff (Non Point Source),  www.epa.gov/owow/nps/urban.html

Prince George’s County Department of Environmental Resources Programs and Planning Division

Water Resources Impact, 3(6), 7-9, www.awra.org

Power point presentation, Puget Sound Water Quality Action Team,  www.wa.gov/puget_sound/Programs/LID.htm