Stormwater Management: Objectives, design description, and criteria
Site stormwater management features are designed to integrate performance and aesthetic experience. Stormwater sheet flow is intercepted by the perimeter native grass meadow—a “sponge” that slows the velocity of stormwater and provides deep root zones for infiltration. The meadow blend includes low-growing native grasses and perennials acting as the site’s own greenbelt, a microcosm of the greenbelt that protects and recharges Norris’s municipal water supply. Overflow cistern rainwater is sent to four terraced rain gardens that provide level areas for infiltration on an existing 1:4 sloped site
Methods and outcomes
During the one-year study period, approximately 15,600 gallons of untreated cistern-overflow rainwater was infiltrated in four terraced rain gardens—providing groundwater recharge and decreasing reliance on city water by 97% as compared to the average US homes' irrigation use. A portion of the overflow rainwater was stored in a 200-gallon cistern and used to irrigate the raised vegetable beds.