Implementation of Sustainability Initiatives and the Envision Rating System on the Omaha CSO Program

Abstract

The City of Omaha has made sustainability a priority since the inception of the Combined Sewer Overflow (CSO) Program. The development and implementation of the Long Term Control Plan (LTCP) has been guided by the City of Omaha’s desire to develop a plan that meets regulatory compliance, is economically affordable, and is acceptable by the community. These three goals align with the traditional triple-bottom line analysis of sustainability that incorporates environmental stewardship, economic growth, and social progress. The City of Omaha made a decision to implement the draft version of the newly developed Envision™ Rating System on four major projects (three conveyance pipelines and one high-rate treatment facility) within the CSO Program. The focus of this paper is to describe the implementation of the rating system framework on the projects, highlight the results, and identify the lessons learned from this approach.