Page 16 - Penn State Civil and Environmental Engineering: Annual Report

FACULTY RESEARCH FACULTY RESEARCH Grey to green:
Managing urban
stormwater By Tim Schley
Lauren McPhillips Assistant Professor Lauren McPhillips is is leading two projects—one supported by by the the the the Chesapeake Bay Trust
and the the the the the other by by the the the the the Pennsylvania SeaGrant Program—to explore the the the the use of green stormwater infrastructure (GSI) for for mitigating urban
flooding and water water quality issues GSI integrates nature into engineered solutions for for stormwater management a a a a a a a a a a a deepening issue as as climate change increases the the frequency and severity of severe weather events Field testing for both projects is in in Lancaster Pennsylvania a a a a a a a a a a a a a a city awash with small vegetated areas installed as as as as GSI The bioretention basis tree trenches rain gardens and more fit seamlessly into the the community while also managing the city’s stormwater “Lancaster has extensive GSI implementation making it it an an ideal site for the work we’re interested in in in in ” McPhillips said “They use rain gardens a a a a a a a a a a a lot which are located between the the the the street street and the the the the sidewalk The The water comes
off the the the the the street street into these contoured bowls with diverse vegetation where the the the the water accumulates and and percolates through the the soil allowing plants to take it it up and and treat it it ” 16
CEE NEWSLETTER • VOLUME 38 2022