Reduce Costs by Using Low Impact Development Practices

The U.S. EPA has released a new report "Reducing Stormwater Costs through Low Impact Development Strategies and Practices," which contains 17 case studies from across North America that show the economic viability of LID practices. The goal of the report was to compare the projected or known costs of LID practices with those of conventional development approaches. LID techniques can reduce costs by such methods as decreasing the amount of materials needed for paving roads and driveways, eliminating or reducing the need for curbs and gutters, reducing the size and cost of flood-control structures, and reducing the costs associated with regulatory requirements for stormwater control.

The report concludes that applying LID techniques can reduce project costs and improve environmental performance. In most cases, LID practices were shown to be both fiscally and environmentally beneficial to communities. Total capital savings generally ranged from 15 to 80 percent. In all cases, LID provided other benefits that were not quantified financially or factored into the project bottom line. These benefits include improved aesthetics, expanded recreational opportunities, increased property values due to the desirability of the lots and their proximity to open space, increased total number of units developed, increased marketing potential, and faster sales. The case studies also provided other environmental benefits such as reduced runoff volumes and pollutant loadings to downstream waters, and reduced incidences of combined sewer overflows.

More research is needed to quantify the cost reductions that can be achieved through improved environmental performance, reductions in long-term operation and maintenance costs, and/or reductions in the life cycle costs of replacing or rehabilitating infrastructure.

F. X. Browne, Inc. specializes in creating environmentally-sensitive, low-impact site development plans for projects ranging from small commercial sites to large planned residential developments. We have been 100 percent successful in obtaining local, conservation district, and state approvals for all of our site development projects. We are experts in designing innovative, environmentally sound stormwater management systems to control the volume and quality of stormwater runoff. For information on how LID can reduce costs and improve the environment in your community, contact F. X. Browne, Inc.