Environmental Protection Agency Region 7 will recognize homeowners in the Marlborough area of Kansas City, Mo., this week for installing rain gardens, rain barrels and other green solutions to reduce storm water runoff. EPA officials have also announced the commitment of an additional $250,000 for the collection of scientific data after green solutions are installed.
A tour of rain gardens and other green solutions will be held for news media and city officials on Friday, and a formal news conference will follow. Officials will be onsite to provide residents information about the use of rain gardens as effective tools for managing storm water.
EPA has completed the installation of eight demonstration rain gardens at private residences in the Marlborough area. The agency is also installing 20 rain barrels and disconnecting an equal number of roof drains that are connected to the sewer system in the same area. These demonstration projects on private property complement the work the city is doing to install rain gardens, permeable pavement and other green solutions in the public right-of-way.
EPA has provided more than $1 million to assist in Kansas City’s green solutions effort through its National Risk Management Research Laboratories in Cincinnati, Ohio, and Edison, N.J., and its Region 7 office. Partners on this project include Mid-America Regional Council, City of Kansas City, Mo., University of Missouri-Kansas City, University of Alabama, Tetra Tech EMI, Shockey Consultants, Marlborough Coalition and student volunteers.
There are a number of technologies available to reduce the impact of storm water runoff while reducing pollutants. These include permeable pavement, which allows precipitation to soak through the surface into the ground, rain gardens, rain barrels, green roofs and other green landscape features. A rain garden is a shallow depression planted with flowering plants and grasses, which holds rainwater for a short time until it soaks into the ground.
Source: EPA
