Design and Placement of Green Stormwater Infrastructure and Associated Runoff Peak and Volume Reduction Assessment

Inadequate stormwater infrastructure, rapid urbanization, and climate change are the three main drivers of intense flooding. This situation is worse in coastal areas where the effects of climate change are more severe and result in high-intensity storms and a rise in sea level. Houston, as a coastal city, is one of the most susceptible areas in terms of flooding and highly suffers from the negative effects of intense flooding, especially in its vulnerable communities such as Kashmere Gardens and Trinity/Houston Gardens. These communities have been suffering frequent flooding due, in part, to inadequate stormwater infrastructure. Implementation of green stormwater infrastructure (GSI) strategies is a viable solution for stormwater management and can provide environmental, economic, and social benefits especially when optimally designed and constructed. In this study, different GSI implementation strategies are tested using the Environmental Protection Agency National Stormwater Calculator (EPA SWC), a screening tool with the ability to assess the runoff volume reduction resulting from the implementation of GSI. Four of the most appropriate strategies (permeable pavement, rain garden, green roof, rain barrel) are selected based on their potential in runoff reduction and community interest. Several maps are generated for these four types of GSI strategies after defining appropriate site selection criteria which represent the potential placement of GSI strategies.