New URL for WOWW blog

As you may have already noted, we have moved this site to a new address:blog.chicagolandh2o.org.

All our content from the previous site is still available here, so feel free to browse through old posts and use the event calendar to stay up-to-date on water-related conferences and educational opportunities in the Chicago area.  Of course, our Twitter feed and Facebook page are also great ways to learn what is going on with water issues in Chicagoland and what our partners and friends are up to.

If you have any bookmarks or links to the old address, they should automatically forward to the new location. Just to prevent any problems, though, you should update your bookmarks and RSS subscriptions.

And stay tuned for a more user-friendly event calendar coming soon!

EPA’s Watershed Academy Webcast: USDA’s National Water Quality Initiative, July 10

EPA’s Watershed Academy is pleased to sponsor its 67th free Webcast Seminar on Tuesday, July 10, 2012, Noon-2pm (Central)

“USDA’s National Water Quality Initiative”

Speakers:
Lynda Hall, Chief, Nonpoint Source Control Branch, U.S. EPA’s Office of Wetlands, Oceans and Watersheds;
Tom Christensen, Regional Conservationist, Central Region, USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service;
Jimmy Bramblett, Chief of Staff for the Regional Conservationists, USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service;
Steve Hopkins, Nonpoint Source Coordinator, Iowa Department of Natural Resources; and
Jon Hubbert, Acting State Conservationist, USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service in Iowa

Join the EPA for a webcast to learn more about USDA’s National Water Quality Initiative (NWQI). USDA’s NWQI is working in priority watersheds to help farmers, ranchers and forest landowners improve water quality and aquatic habitats in impaired streams, lakes, and other waterbodies. USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) is helping producers implement conservation and management practices through a systems approach to control and trap sediment, nutrients, and manure runoff. Eligible producers are receiving assistance for implementing conservation practices such as nutrient management, residue management, conservation cropping systems, cover crops, filter strips, and water and sediment control basins. This webcast will highlight how this Initiative is working and how USDA’s NRCS is working with state water quality agencies and others to implement this Initiative in priority watersheds.
The presentation will be posted in advance. Also, Webcast participants are eligible to receive a certificate for their attendance.

• Flyer on July 10, 2012 Webcast (PDF) 
• Register for Webcast

First WaterSense-Approved Irrigation Controllers

The first outdoor irrigation technology has earned the WaterSense Label. Cyber-Rain is currently the only manufacturer of WaterSense-certified irrigation controllers. Home and business owners will now be able to look for the WaterSense label to identify water-saving landscape irrigation controllers that will provide ample irrigation for healthy plant growth while preventing waste and over-watering. WaterSense-labeled controllers operate like a thermostat for your sprinkler system, telling it when to turn on and off based on local weather data. While standard clock-timer controllers on sprinklers or drip-irrigation systems help property owners conserve water by limiting use to cooler morning or evening hours, the new generation of WaterSense controllers goes a step further by automatically adjusting to local temperature and precipitation patterns.  Properly installed and programmed WaterSense labeled irrigation controllers can significantly reduce water waste and meet plants’ water needs while supporting a healthy landscape. They have the potential to provide home and building owners across the country 110 billion gallons of water savings and roughly $410 million in savings per year on utility bills.

For more information about these products and the WaterSense certification, visit http://www.epa.gov/watersense/products/controltech.html

Call for Nominations of Exemplary Water-Energy Efficiency Programs, deadline July 13

Call for Nominations of Exemplary Water-Energy Efficiency Programs

or

Submissions to the Water-Energy Program Database

 SUBMIT NOMINATIONS HERE or SUBMIT TO THE DATABASE HERE

Nominate an Exemplary Water-Energy Efficiency Program The call for nominations for the Exemplary Efficiency Programs that Save Both Water and Energy Recognition and Awards is now open! Winning programs will be selected from these nominations by an expert panel of judges, featured in an AWE/ACEEE report, and recognized with awards.

Winning programs will be chosen from the following categories:

• Residential (indoor and outdoor)
• Commercial (indoor and outdoor)
• Industrial (indoor and outdoor)
• Corporate/Government/Institutional Sustainability
• Agriculture
• Water/Wastewater Treatment and Conveyance
• Energy Supply or Generation
• Research, Development, and Demonstration (RD&D)
• Cross-Cutting/Other

Click here for a description of eligibility and criteria, and submit a program.

Nominations must be submitted no later than Friday, July 13, 2012. 

Submit a Program to the Water-Energy Program Database

ACEEE invites everyone involved with management of a program that saves both water and energy to take five minutes and submit your program for inclusion in the Water-Energy Efficiency Program Database.

This database is intended to provide a listing of basic information on existing water-energy programs. The data submitted will be made publicly available in order to provide an opportunity to users to learn about water-energy programs operating elsewhere.

Please submit your program(s) to the Database!

Questions? Contact Eric Mackres at emackres@aceee.org

New EPA Integrated Water Resources Planning Framework Fosters Innovation But Lacks Incentives

by Matt Harrison

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) released an updated ‘Integrated Municipal Stormwater and Wastewater Planning Approach Framework’ on June 12. The framework is designed to assist states and municipalities in prioritizing projects and ensuring compliance with Clean Water Act requirements. This framework is the outcome of a long process involving stakeholder feedback at workshops across the country, the initial draft, and additional stakeholder feedback. The draft framework and stakeholder process were described in a WOWW post earlier this year.

The framework engenders an approach to planning and prioritization that integrates various aspects of resource management including regulation, finance, evaluation of alternatives, and stakeholder engagement. The intent of this framework is to provide a more flexible approach to water quality issues and to facilitate the implementation of best management practices or other innovative solutions.

Like the draft framework issued in January of this year, the updated version  released last month establishes the overarching and guiding principles of integrated planning, six elements of an integrated plan, and two means of implementation. As noted in the previous WOWW post, about the draft version, “[t]he overarching principles indicate that the process will maintain existing regulatory standards, will address the most pressing health and environmental issues first, and will give the municipality the responsibility to develop an integrated plan, if desired.” The updated version goes on to state that innovative technologies, including green infrastructure projects, may be “fundamental” aspects of integrated planning solutions. As in the draft iteration, the eight principles guiding integrated planning are: state involvement, flexibility, sequencing, innovation, community impacts, existing regulations, financial strategies, and stakeholder input. However, the language about innovation included exhortations to implement green infrastructure solutions “where they provide more sustainable solutions for municipal wet weather control.”

The elements of the integrated plans include: 1) a description of issues the plan will address; 2) a description of wastewater and stormwater conditions; 3) a process for community involvement; 4) a process for evaluating and selecting alternatives and an implementation schedule; 5) approaches to measuring success; and 6) improvements to the plan. Most of these elements contain substantive updates from the draft version that are likely to enhance the environmental and social utility of the framework. For example, descriptions of wastewater and stormwater conditions were updated to consider flows in and from the systems under consideration, which will result in a much more accurate project overview with significant potential impacts to the prioritization function of the framework. The process for community involvement now includes recommendations to make relevant new information available to the public and provide opportunities for feedback on modifications of the plan, which may potentially result in a more collaborative municipal project that incorporates the interests and needs of various stakeholders. The process for evaluating and selecting alternatives and an implementation schedule was updated to recommend that the description of project priorities describe how those priorities may adversely impact public health, water quality, and municipal financial capability. This addition increases the likelihood that projects will be evaluated on both their merits and liabilities. Measurements of success were updated to recommend the evaluation of innovative measures, including green infrastructure, to ascertain best design and management practices as well as identify barriers to wider implementation, which may ultimately lead to the scaling up of green infrastructure and other innovative solutions. Finally, the revised framework included an additional element to the draft version, “Improvements to the Plan.” Here, the updates include recommendations to evaluate modifications to ongoing projects and schedules. All of these updates serve the framework by making sure it is more comprehensive, more collaborative, and ultimately more effective.

The most significant changes to the framework are to its “Implementation” section, which, as noted in the earlier WOWW post, seemed to be the weakest part of the draft framework. However, most of the updates in this area pertain to considerations for incorporating integrated plans into enforcement actions. While these updates remain somewhat abstract—it is not clear that these considerations will necessarily translate to effective enforcement—the list is a notable improvement that was responsive to many of the concerns about the draft, and will guide decision-making through the implementation phase.

Here in Northeastern Illinois, the Village of Lake Zurich is on the ground leading the way in looking at integrated planning for its municipal and wastewater systems. The Metropolitan Planning Council, in partnership with Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning, the Center for Neighborhood Technology, and Illinois-Indiana Sea Grant, just released a report detailing recommendations for an integrated water resources planning process for the Village. The report provides a real-life example of the framework’s utility. However, many municipalities lack the human and capital resources to implement such innovative solutions absent new homegrown revenue streams or federal financial assistance.

This framework is an important tool for encouraging innovation and strategic planning, and it is clear that the EPA listened to a lot of the feedback provided by stakeholders during the comment period. However, without linking funding to application of the framework, it remains unclear whether communities will have sufficient incentive to apply the framework to compliance decisions.

Gary Clean Water Festival, June 30

Saturday, June 30th

Gary Clean Water Festival

11:00a.m. – 4:00p.m.

The City of Gary will host a Clean Water Festival at Marquette Park which is free to the public. Water Quality Partners will “Celebrate Our Coast” at the Clean Water Festival with a day of FREE recreational, healthy, and fun activities for kids and adults to enjoy. There will be water quality education programs, free paddle boat rides, rain barrel art demonstration, kayaking, information booths, beach safety, fishing education, refreshments and much more at this event. Everyone can play a role to keep our water clean by taking the Clean Water Pledge. This event is FREE and vendor booth opportunities are available. Please contact outreach and education coordinator, Brenda Scott-Henry for more information bhenry@ci.gary.in.us.

The Clean Water Celebration will also include information and activities supported by the Gary Storm Water Management District’s Storm Water Public Education and Outreach Program, as well as other projects and programs being implemented by local organizations, business, and environmental organizations promoting the protection and preservation of our waterways and natural resources. The purpose of public education and outreach is to provide local residents, businesses and youth with information on the importance of water quality and storm water pollution prevention, and how we can help protect water in our daily lives. The Water Quality Planning Committee includes: City of Gary Department of Green Urbanism, Parks Department and Mayor’s Organization on Disabilities, Gary Sanitary District, Indiana American Water, L.C. Soil & Water Conservation District, Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore and NWI Paddling Association.

South Suburban Stormwater Management Workshop, June 28

MPC’s Josh Ellis will be a featured speaker at this event.

June 28, 2012, 8:30 am–12 pm
Brian Carey Training Center 1023 191st St. Homewood, IL 60430

Targeted for local government officials

The Village of Homewood and the Calumet Stewardship Initiative will hose a stormwater management workshopt hat describes the spectrum of engineering and legal solutions for various stormwater processes. Attendees will receive helpful tools and resources for use in their communities. This workshop is targeted toward Local Government officials to help them respond to various stormwater management problems within and between communities.

• Speakers include MWRD and Cook County Forest Preserve District
• Learn state of the art stormwater management strategies
• Acquire tools and resources to navigate existing stormwater management strategies
• Q and A with attorneys and engineers about specific issues
• Learn how to integrate GIS tools into stormwater management programs
• Network and brainstorm with neighboring communities and shared concerns

Please RSVP to Eric Neagu at eneagu@weaverboos.com or call 773-403-5137

Download the flyer here: http://www.metroplanning.org/uploads/cms/documents/South_Suburban_Stormwater_Management_Tools_Workshop_Flyer_R.pdf

You Get What You Pay For: Emerging Solutions to Common Resource Problems

By Matt Harrison

Climate change and resource depletion threaten the security and vitality of communities across the nation. Many areas face dwindling water supplies and urban sprawl that consumes rural land and natural resources. The term “ecosystem services” describes the myriad environmental services that nature provides. The United Nations’ Millennium Ecosystem Assessment identifies four categories of ecosystems services: 1) provisioning services, such as food, water, and natural fibers; 2) regulating services that affect climate and the spread of disease; 3) cultural services including aesthetic and recreational opportunities; and 4) supporting services such as soil formation and nutrient cycling. The global value of these services is estimated to be approximately $33 billion annually. Growing human populations and rising standards of living around the world place more and more demand pressures on ecosystems to deliver these services. However, the same forces that drive demand for these services also threaten their survival as a result of resource exploitation, degradation, and unsustainable consumption.

Concerns about ecosystem health and vitality have given rise to the concept of payments for ecosystem services (PES), where the owner or managers of natural resources are incentivized to manage those resources in a socially or ecologically beneficial way that they may not have been otherwise willing to do. PES is a broad label that can describe many financial arrangements including public payments, private payments, tax or subsidy incentives, or credit trading as in the form of a cap-and-trade market. The consistent features of these systems are that they are voluntary and involve a defined ecosystem benefit.

Payment for watershed services (PWS) is a subset of the PES category that compensates landowners for implementing best management practices (BMPs) sufficient to ensure a supply of high quality water. Water is a critical element on which we all depend, and in turn is dependent on vibrant terrestrial and wetland ecosystems for its filtration and purification. Notably, New York City’s reputably high quality water is ensured through a PWS program. The program dates back to the 1990s when the EPA directed the City to build a filtration plant to guarantee its water supply at an approximate cost of $4-6 billion. However, the City was able to negotiate a system of payments to landowners in the Catskill-Delaware watershed to implement land management practices that would effectively provide an appropriate level of filtration and a net savings of over $1 billion. The success of this arrangement is based on the voluntary nature of the transaction that benefits both landowners and the City through payments for a continued supply of high quality water.

More recently, Denver Water established a partnership with the U.S. Forest Service (USFS) as an innovative funding arrangement to preserve watershed services in response to regional threats. Forests in the region are diminishing as a result of bark-beetle infestations and the widespread die-off of aspen groves, both of which are thought to be linked to climate change. One alarming result of these trends is increased vulnerability to and intensifying consequences of forest fires. The Hayman Fire of 2002 burned nearly 138,000 acres and resulted in the deposit of nearly 1 million cubic yards of sediment into areas critical to the supply of water to the Denver metro area, and cost Denver Water nearly $10 million in water treatment, sediment removal, and infrastructure expenditures. In 2010, Denver Water and USFS agreed to provide $16.5 million each to fund a variety of restoration projects to reduce the risk of wildfire and the water supplies vulnerability to its devastating effects on ecosystem services.

Here in the Chicagoland area, our headwaters for a good portion of our water supply are Lake Michigan itself, so there is little we can do in terms of investing in upstream conservation or BMP implementation (obviously keeping beaches and the water clean are still a good thing to do). However, there are innumerable opportunities to implement management practices that would benefit urban terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems, as well as communities downstream. Innovative solutions to the problems our shared water commons face can be implemented at all scales. At a small scale, vegetation and rain gardens are simple solutions that any homeowner can install to reduce stormwater runoff and contaminant flow to Lake Michigan or the rivers nearby.  Arguably, if a property owner is providing public benefit through enhanced ecosystem services on their land, some sort of compensation may be necessary.  The challenge here is to identify and implement appropriate incentives including direct payments, reduced tax burdens, or reduced rates for flood insurance.

Opportunities to enhance ecosystem services also exist on a larger scale. The Village of Wheeling, for example, recently entered into an agreement with MWRD to increase stormwater storage at Heritage Park in order to relieve flooding in Mount Prospect and Prospect Heights – its neighbors downstream on the Des Plaines River. Specifically, the project involves enhancing water storage areas over approximately 24 acres in the park. The Village of Wheeling was paid $2.6 million for the land, and MWRD will fund most of the $29.5 million construction costs. In this case, MWRD, acting on behalf of the downstream communities, is paying for land improvements to reduce flooding downstream while simultaneously providing public benefits to residents of Wheeling vis-à-vis upgrades to Heritage Park. We can speculate on other possibilities.  Consider the vacant land adjacent to the Chicago River and/or Cal-Sag Channel that could be converted to wetlands as part of a longer term restoration project. Or, over on the Fox River, perhaps there is some reason for large consumers of potable water – Aurora and Elgin – to consider PWS solutions upstream in order to ensure sufficient base flow in dry weather periods. The challenges inherent to these projects are identifying buyers and sellers and the scale of BMP implementation necessary to yield a desired outcome threshold. We want to hear what you think – share your ideas with us about local PWS opportunities! Leave a comment below or interact with MPC on Facebook, and Twitter.

Programs in Chicago and the suburbs help property owners save water, energy, money and the environment

Dan Swick demonstrates proper use of a rain barrel at a Chicago Sustainable Backyards workshop at the Chicago Center for Green Technology. Photo Credit: Chicago Center for Green Technology

By Abby Crisostomo and Erin McMillan

Too often, heavy rains conjure flooded basements, murky pools of water mucking up neighborhood streets, damaged property – and hefty price tags for residents, business owners, and municipalities that have to clean up the mess. It doesn’t have to be this way. Instead of rain being a nuisance, we can turn it into the free resource it should be by changing our built environment in large and small ways. Property owners in Chicago and its suburbs have support to help them do just that, thanks to a couple of unique, local organizations on a mission to help people not only weather the storms in their own backyards, but then do something productive with all that water.

In the City of Chicago, Sarah Abu-Absi manages the Sustainable Backyards Program, part of the city’s Dept. of Transportation and established by Chicago’s 2003 Water Agenda, which called attention to our need for water conservation and preservation. Chicago’s Sustainable Backyards Program provides residents with knowledge and incentives to help them create more environmentally friendly landscapes in their own yards. Signature initiatives include free educational workshops and a rebate program that offers up to 50 percent off local purchases of specific trees, native plants, rain barrels, and compost bins (helpful for providing nutrients for your new trees and native plants.)

Lyndon Valicenti giving Chicago Conservation Corps (C3) leaders an overview on Chicago Sustainable Backyards the Chicago Center for Green Technology. Photo Credit: Chicago Center for Green Technology

The program delivers benefits above and beyond stormwater management. “Chicago purifies and treats 800 million gallons of water every day,” says Abu-Absi. That’s an enormous number few people think about while out watering their lawns. Treating and delivering that much water requires large amounts of resources, including labor, time, energy, and money. The impact of the energy consumption adds up to more than 255,000 metric tons of CO₂ a year – the equivalent of adding more than 75,000 cars to the road every year. Every gallon of rain used instead of treated, potable water is a small step toward keeping down costs and energy consumption.

In the suburbs, another Sarah – this time Sarah Surroz – runs the Conservation@Home program, managed in Lake County by Conserve Lake County and in Kane, Kendall, DuPage and Will counties by The Conservation Foundation. Conservation@Home is a public outreach program focused on both commercial and residential properties that promotes sustainable landscapes, water conservation, clean soil, and rich ecosystems. The mission of the program is that small changes can add up to big impact, and small changes can save property owners money, time, and other resources. “People want to do the right thing but oftentimes aren’t sure what that is,” said Surroz. “This program makes it easier for folks to get specific tips so they can select projects that work for their own lifestyles, budgets and properties. At the end of the day, people want to be able to say, ‘I contributed, and my investment was reasonable.’ This program supports that.” Conservation@Home also provides free landscape consultation to property owners to help them make their landscaping more sustainable and eco-friendly.

A Master Gardener gives composting tips at a Chicago Sustainable Backyards workshop at the Chicago Center for Green Technology. Photo Credit: Chicago Center for Green Technology

Both programs have evolved over time as staff learned how to best motivate and cooperate with property owners. Case in point, in the early years of Chicago’s Sustainable Backyards Program, people purchased but often failed to install rain barrels, often because they didn’t know how. That’s one reason the city stopped handing out free barrels and instead developed a rebate program and educational workshops, both of which require people to be more invested in reaping the benefits of their rain barrel. The rebate program also helped generate a local market for private retailers to sell rain barrels and other stormwater conservation tools, which in turn made barrels more widely available and reduced the City’s burden of storing and distributing them. Sustainable Backyards also expanded beyond rain barrels to include compost bins, trees and native plants, to discourage the idea of rain barrels as the “silver bullet” for stormwater relief. After all, if the rain in the barrel isn’t used for trees and plants, it can’t very well capture any water during the next storm.

Lake County’s Conservation@Home program built off the established and successful program developed over seven years by The Conservation Foundation. Before launching it in Lake County in 2011, Conserve Lake County sought input about barriers and opportunities from many varied partners and audiences and then tailored the program to meet Lake County’s needs. Educating homeowners that they don’t have to change the aesthetics of their properties to make the types of changes that improve the ecosystem is one challenge Conserve Lake County has faced with this program. Another is the staffing capacity to meet the huge demand: The wait for property consultation is several months long.

No matter whether it happens in the City of Chicago or in suburban Lake County communities, educating property owners about the importance of stormwater management and re-use is critical to address local flooding and to conserve resources. Chicago Sustainable Backyards and Conservation@Home are both excellent examples of how communities can work with local property owners to turn rain into the resource it should be – whether by capturing and using it productively, for instance to water lawns instead of using treated drinking water, or by funneling it back into the ground to recharge shallow aquifers and nearby waterways. After all, every gallon of potable water saved saves water, energy, and – where water rates are high enough – some money as well.

To get involved, attend an event hosted by either Chicago Sustainable Backyards or Conservation@Home. Visit the WOWW blog for information about events on June 12 and June 21.

Conservation tips

• Go to the store! Buy a rain barrel, native plants, and trees, all of which qualify for a rebate from the City of Chicago.
• Go online! Rain barrels are an effective tool when installed and used correctly. Watch this YouTube video to learn how to use a rain barrel properly.
• Use it or lose it. A few days after it rains, be sure to use the water in your barrel so it will be empty the next time it rains. A barrel with no available storage capacity is no help to anyone.

The WOWW Factor

650 gallons

The storage capacity of a “fat boy” water wall, an evolution in rain barrel technology. Standard rain barrels hold 55 gallons.

4,000 gallons

The amount of rainwater intercepted by a mature evergreen tree in a year.

1,122 gallons

The amount of rain that falls during a 1-inch storm on a modestly sized single-family home.

Implementing The Nation’s Most Comprehensive Green Stormwater Infrastructure Program Webinar, June 28

U.S. Water Prize Winners Webinar Series
Philadelphia’s “Green City, Clean Waters” Program

Date: Thursday, June 28, 2012

Time: 1:00 pm – 2:00 pm CT

Philadelphia’s “Green City, Clean Waters” program is the first of five 2012 U.S. Water Prize Winners profiled in this webinar series. Sponsored and administered by the Clean Water America Alliance, the United States Water Prize Program is a celebration of sustainable solutions that advance holistic, watershed-based approaches to water quality and quantity challenges.

This program has been heralded as a unique and innovative approach to addressing Clean Water Act permit obligations while making strategic investments in community and economic development. The $2.4 Billion, 25-year program involves managing storm water from more than a third of the City’s impervious surfaces, primarily through investments in green storm water infrastructure.

As the City agency held responsible for meeting Clean Water Act permit requirements, the Philadelphia Water Department (PWD) must employ creative strategies to work with multiple City agencies and private customers to leverage opportunities to implement the program. To ensure the long-term success of “Green City, Clean Waters,” multiple implementation mechanisms have been created or are in design, including strong development regulations, storm water billing and crediting, grants and low interest loans, and direct public investments in green storm water infrastructure.

Attendees to this webinar earn one Professional Development Hour.

Presenters:
Glen J. Abrams, AICP
Manager, Strategic Policy and Coordination
Philadelphia Water Department, Office of Watersheds

Mr. Abrams serves as Manager for Strategic Policy and Coordination for the Philadelphia Water Department’s Office of Watersheds, where he leads efforts to link PWD’s programs and policies with those of other City departments, state and federal agencies, and nonprofit partners. In addition, his team is actively reviewing policies, codes, and programmatic functions and making recommendations for changes to ensure the success of Philadelphia’s innovative Combined Sewer Overflow Long-Term Control Plan, “Green City, Clean Waters.”

Mr. Abrams has worked in the Office of Watersheds for over ten years and was instrumental in the early demonstration projects and partnerships that established many of the green stormwater infrastructure initiatives that are now the cornerstone of the “Green City, Clean Waters” plan.

Mr. Abrams is recognized as a certified planner by the American Institute of Certified Planners and is a graduate in City and Regional Planning from the Ohio State University. He is a frequent speaker on water resources planning and green infrastructure and has presented for the American Planning Association, American Society of Landscape Architects, American Rivers, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, and the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, in addition to many other organizations.

Register here: http://video.webcasts.com/events/pmny001/viewer/index.jsp?eventid=42894