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Issues: Water

Out of the Gutter
Reducing Polluted Runoff in the District of Columbia

Every time it rains, Washington, D.C. -- like most major cities -- is plagued by stormwater runoff, which has gravely contaminated the city's three major rivers (the Potomac, the Anacostia, and Rock Creek). To clean up the pollution, the city's Water and Sewer Authority is relying on conventional stormwater management practices, which are costly and outdated. In this July 2002 report, NRDC recommends instead that WASA adopt an approach called low-impact development, which would use "green" roofs, strategically placed beds of native plants, rain barrels, and other measures to soak up rain and prevent it from washing directly into waterways. NRDC is also urging the local government and WASA to restructure the city's flat stormwater fee, protect environmentally sensitive lands, restore the urban forest, and encourage water conservation and water reuse techniques.


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OVERVIEW & QUICK REFERENCE
Press Release

FULL REPORT IN PDF
Adobe Acrobat file (size: 1,470 k)
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
(Links indicate sections available as individual webpages)
Executive Summary
Introduction and Background to Low-Impact Development
Review of District of Columbia Municipal Regulations
Additional Recommendations for Implementation of LID in the District of Columbia
Appendix A: Legal Review Checklist
Appendix B: Stormwater Utility Fee Structures
Appendix C: Impediments to Voluntary Low-Impact Development in the District of Columbia (web-only supplement; 172 k Acrobat file)