Abstract:
One of the most serious injuries humans have inflicted on nature is the pollution of the earth's freshwater supply. In the United States, consistently insufficient management of stormwater runoff has led to serious combined sewer overflow issues that have worn much of the country's sewer infrastructure to the brink of collapse . Around the country, designers who attempt to address the issue by implementing new, more sustainable stormwater management practices are met with resistance by local committees and permit review boards that do not understand the need for change. The presentation of conclusive research is needed in order for decision makers at local, regional, state, and national levels to adopt sustainable stormwater management systems. This project includes comprehensive research and the development of a design in Williamsport, Pennsylvania, a city under legal obligation to improve its combined sewer overflow issues, in order to show both the environmental and economic benefits of implementing sustainable stormwater management practices in urban areas. The project will develop a natural system to improve water quality at multiple scales, including Williamsport, the Susquehanna River, and the Chesapeake Bay.
