Cost-Benefit Analysis of Green Infrastructure for Sustainable Stormwater Management of the Built Environment

Abstract

Green infrastructure is a modern network of decentralized stormwater management applications that can capture and infiltrate rain where it falls, thus diminishing stormwater runoff and improving the health of surrounding waterways. While there are unique scales of green infrastructure, such as large swaths of land set aside for preservation. Green infrastructure such as bioretention, green roofs, trees, and permeable pavement is important in today’s world since many municipalities are faced with the issues of aging gray infrastructure, impaired local water way, and projected population growth by 2030. Green stormwater infrastructure helps strengthen communities’ economy while providing environmentally and economically sustainable solutions to stormwater management issues. This study found that current stormwater runoff issues in municipalities across the United States will be substantially decreased with about 1.05 billion gallons diverted from sewer. This will yield about millions of dollars in annual savings and decrease buildings energy metered water use by 1.37 million kWh of carbon dioxide. Green infrastructure is needed to address and plan for the future impacts of climate change by preventing increased flood risks and public health stresses.