STORMWATER
                                                                         Stormwater in New England
                                                      FINDING SOLUTIONS
                         What we're doing at  EPA
                           Walking die  talk
                         U.S.  EPA  |  STORMWATER OUTREACH AT  EPA  NEW  ENGLAND
                                                             STORMWATER  Is a leading cause of poor water qudity. Rain or
                                                              meked snow runs down driveways, sidewalks and streets carrying oil, din
                                                              and other pollutants into nearby waterways. Polluted runoff, which can
                                                              cause erosion and flooding, runs into waterways and degrades plants, fish,
                                                              shellfish and other wildlife. In water used for recreation,  the runoff can
                                                              lead to illness, and people who eat contaminated fish can also become sick.
                                                              Untreated stormwater can also contaminate drinking water sources.
INTRO:
 The buildings of the New England office of the Environmental Protection Agency serve as both role models and
pilot projects. In 2009, EPA New England moved to a newly renovated building in Boston's Post Office Square that
exemplifies green urban building. The New England  Regional Laboratory in Chelmsfbrd, completed in 2001, has won
awards for its use of green practices and serves as a model for green laboratories. Across the country, EPA works to
reduce its own environmental footprint, while scientists research new methods for addressing stormwater pollution.
TO MANAGE STORMWATER
AT EPA  WE  ARE:
Building to reduce itormwater pollution
 *  EPA New England Regional laboratory in  Qiekns-
ford, MA  — EPA's regional  laboratory, which received
the Leadership in Energy  and Environmental Design
(LEED) gold  rating in  2003,  was landscaped  to
conserve water and reduce stormwater runoff. A natural
system with native grasses, wild flowers and shrubs, the
landscaping is adapted to the climate with little need for
more water and no need for synthetic fertilizer or pesti-
cides. Stormwater runoff from the lab roof is diverted to
an on-site wetland area designed for this purpose.

 • EM New England'* Boston office — EPA designed a
new headquarters at 5 Post Office Square in Boston that
is also expected to receive a Gold LEED rating. Many of
the qualities that make it eligible also reduce its impact
on stormwater. The green roof at the McCormack Build-
ing includes native plants that can tolerate drought, but
when needed will be  irrigated with stormwater collected
from the roof and stored in 10 cisterns totaling 5,500
gallons. This water will be pumped to the roof by a pump
powered  by a photovoltaic cell. In  addition, the new
office is in a high density area that is already paved.

Regulating ourselves — Under a new federal law, feder-
al agencies must maintain or restore predevelopment
hydrology conditions on federal developments bigger
than 5,000 square feet. With  17,000 employees and
more than 7,000 contractors nationally, EPA is using a
range of strategies to make its facilities sustainable.

Monitoring stormwater and performing research —
EPA made managing stormwater a top science priority
at an EPA Science Summit in Washington in 2009.

  •  Using science to find solution*—EPA New England's
laboratory has been  developing methods to monitor
and analyze water quality in ways that will help address
stormwater and elevated bacteria pollution. The lab  is
working on a method to use pharmaceuticals as indica-
tors of human sewage, providing monitoring equipment
to volunteer organizations, and developing monitoring
kits to measure ammonia and "surfactants' (chemicals
similar to detergents) to identify illicit connections.

  •  Researching new approaches — EPA New England
was awarded  a research grant for street sweeping. The
street sweeping study in Cambridge, Mass., will assess
the  role street sweeping programs could have in reduc-
ing loads of pollutants, such as phosphorus. Ultimately,
a street sweeping model will  be developed to deter-
mine the best role for street sweeping to reduce phos-
phorus loads to the Charles River.
KEY CONTACTS:


SCOTT  PELLEKIN
EPA New England
Regional Laboratory
(617) 918-1235
pellerin.scott@epa.gov

CYNTHIA GREENE
EPA New England
Energy and Climate Unit
(617)918-1813
greene.cynthi a® epa.gov


GENERAL  INFO:


EPA NEW ENGLAND
5 Post Office Square
Suite 100
Boston,  MA 02109-3912
(617) 918-1111
www. epa.gov/region1/

EPA TOLL-FREE
CUSTOMER SERVICE
1-888-EPA-7341

LEARN  MORE ATl
www. epa.gov/region1/
topics/water/sto rmwater. html
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                                                                  November 2010

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