A recent post brought to my attention the fact that many people probably don't quite understand what my project is really focusing on. Here it is in a nutshell. I'm trying to break the mold of just draining the water into the city's drainage system by getting as much of it into the ground as possible. By recharging the groundwater more vegetation can be grown with natural irrigation creating a more aesthetically pleasing and environmentally friendly site. The water runoff that comes from roads and parking lots contains pollutants that can get into our river system if we let it all get to the city's drainage system and can even cause flooding in areas with heavier rainfall. Through the use of bioretention swales, permeable pavement, treatment ponds, and many other landscaping techniques, this water can mostly be used before it ever gets to the city's drainage system.
Thanks for the interest!
So there is no concern for any kind of damage to the soil. I mean, zones change all the time and maybe someone wants to try and grow a garden there, will they have to move a bunch of the land away and get better soil for it?
ReplyDeleteHey Marc,
ReplyDeleteUsually there are materials used that filter some of the pollutants out in the ground. My goal is to prevent such a large amount of untreated stormwater from entering our river system. This is damaging aquatic life and can be prevented. Currently, 55% of rainwater that falls onto the concrete in Kamloops enters the river untreated, bringing with it many pollutants. TRU's parking lot is most likely here to stay for quite a while so that should reduce that kind of concern as well. Thanks and have fun down unda!