Overview of the Green Infrastructure Section of PWSA’s Feasibility Study

Presentation Charrette No. 3: April 19, 2013

Presenter: Ross Gordon, PE, CFM, LEED AP

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Recap – WW Feasibility Study

PWSA and City of Pittsburgh Consent Order and Agreement (COA) Entered January 29, 2004

Department of Environmental Protection (DEP)

Allegheny County Health Department (ACHD)

Requirement per COA Section 15. Paragraph d. Submit Feasibility Study (FS) within 6 months

after ALCOSAN submits a Wet Weather Plan (WWP)

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Recap – Timeline

Initial Draft FS completed

Refine the FS to achieve consistency with regional planning efforts

Complete remaining planning tasks and integrate prior planning activities into a final FS

2002PWSA

Long Term Control

Plan (LTCP) started under NPDES

requirements

2004PWSA/CitySign COA

2008PWSA LTCP

converted to a

Feasibility Study (FS)

2008PWSA

Preliminary Draft FS completed

2009PWSA

modeling and cost

estimating methods

aligned with regional methods

2010PWSA FS

recommendations updated

and preliminary

flow estimates provided to

ALCOSAN per COA

2012PWSA

Draft FS submitted

to ALCOSAN

July 2012ALCOSAN releases its Draft

WWP

January 2013

ALCOSAN Submits

Draft WWP to

RegulatorsJuly 2013PWSA/Cityto submit Final FS to regulators per COA

2007ALCOSAN signs CD

and begins regional planning

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Schedule - Feasibility Study Update2

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3 February 2

01

3 March

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13 April

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13 May

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13 June

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13 July

Feasibility Study Update Completion Schedule

DRAFT FINALINITIATE

#1 #2 #3Charrette Charrette Charrette

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PWSA Feasibility Study

Establish baseline ‘gray infrastructure’ approach to meeting compliance requirements Includes Projects / Timeline / Costs / Affordability Culmination of 10-year planning process

Introduce ‘green infrastructure (GI)’ alternative and Integrated Watershed Planning (IWP) framework

Lay out process to ‘green PWSA’s wet weather plan’

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Green Infrastructure Section

Establish intentions for incorporating GI into the feasibility study

Lay out initial actions to assess feasibility of greening the baseline gray infrastructure approach

Lay out initial actions to accelerate/facilitate implementation of GI

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Green Infrastructure Section

Lay out initial actions to demonstrate and monitor performance of GI approaches

Establish decision points to update the feasibility study and modify the COA to include GI and adaptive management

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Feasibility Study Challenges

PWSA is required to provide a path to compliance (baseline approach)

PWSA is required to meet the schedule in the COA

Regulators looking for certainty – evidence of proposed compliance approach’s ability to meet requirements of COA

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Green Infrastructure Challenges

GI path to compliance has not been determined yet

Ability to implement GI approach at the scale required has not been demonstrated

Ability for GI approach to meet water quality standards has not been demonstrated

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Summary of Challenges

Feasibility Study is a balance of multiple concerns: Timing Efficacy/Benefit Cost

Regulators require clear plan to meet CSO reduction obligations

Aim to provide a structure which allows for adaptation and optimization of the plan

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Preliminary Green Infra. Section Outline

1) Introduction to Green Infrastructure2) Public Participation3) Overview of Challenges and Obstacles4) Adaptive Management Approach5) Short Term Action / Implementation

Plan6) Decision Points7) Long Term Action / Implementation Plan

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1) Intro. to Green Infrastructure

Introduction to green infrastructure (GI) Review of GI for CSO control Review of Triple Bottom Line benefits of

GI Quantification of existing GI efforts Discussion of ‘Integrated Watershed

Planning’ framework Establishment of goals and objectives for

GI

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2) Public Participation

Introduction to GI charrette process Charrette # 1 findings Charrette # 2 findings Charrette # 3 findings “Green Infrastructure in Pittsburgh

will be a success if...”

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3) Challenges and Obstacles

Provides impetus for implementation activities

Based on feedback provided in Charrettes Authority to implement Education and outreach Collaboration Regulatory / zoning Financial Maintenance Monitoring

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4) Adaptive Management Approach

Provide overview of proposed adaptive management framework

Discuss benefits of continual optimization of compliance activities

Review gray / green interface and how it can be optimized

Discuss process of staying on schedule while exploring GI opportunities

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5) Short Term Action/Implementation Plan

Accelerate/facilitate implementation of GI Demonstrate and monitor performance of GI Inform decision making process

Develop inter-agency GI task force Continue public education and outreach Streamline bureaucracy / permitting Establish regional partnerships Plan/construct/assess early implementation projects Conduct system-wide GI alternatives assessment Address major zoning / regulatory impediments Develop GI design and maintenance manuals Develop GI monitoring and tracking plan Finalize assessment of stormwater utility Develop ‘Implementation and Adaptive Management Plan’

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6) Decision Points

Establish schedule of decision points Establish criteria to be met at each

decision point and consequences of not meeting criteria

Establish process for modifying Consent Order and Agreement

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7) Long Term Action/Implementation Plan

Provide vision for long-term GI / hybrid approach to CSO control

Provide vision for ‘Integrated Watershed Planning’ approach

Establish framework of long-term adaptive management process

Establish long-term process for assessing progress towards compliance

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GI Section Summary

Roadmap to incorporate GI into the feasibility study

Set of short term obligations to accelerate/facilitate implementation of GI

Establishment of decision points and process to amend Consent Order and Agreement to incorporate GI

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Overview of Adaptive Management Approach to Green Infrastructure

Presentation Charrette No. 3: April 19, 2013

Presenter: Ross Gordon, PE, CFM, LEED AP

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Key Considerations

Adaptive approach bases future actions on the success of previous actions, allowing for continual improvement

Focuses on monitoring and regular re-assessment in order to achieve goals in the most cost-effective and beneficial manner

Supports and aligns with USEPA ‘Integrated Watershed Planning’ framework

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Preliminary Approach - Adaptive Management for PWSA

Desire to optimize the proposed solution Gray vs. green mix Types/applications of green infrastructure (GI)

Short term goal: secure approval to modify the compliance approach to use GI solutions in conjunction with gray solutions

Long term goal: establish a process which provides flexibility to meet water quality goals through the most cost-effective and beneficial means.

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Short Term Decision Points

#1 - Regional/regulatory support to move forward with GI initiatives

#2 - Technical justification from feasibility, performance, and cost standpoints

#3 - Performance warrants incorporation of GI into plan

Issue update to regulators for modification of Consent Order and Agreement

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Draft - Short Term ProcessYEAR 1 YEAR 2-4 YEAR 4-5

Decision Point #1:Regional/regulatory

support to move forward with GI

initiatives

• Submit Feasibility Study

• Coordinate w/ regulators

• Develop inter-agency GI task force

• Continued public outreach

• Coordinate w/ regional partners

• Plan early demonst. projects

• Initiate changes to promote and facilitate GI

Decision Point #2:Technical justification

from feasibility, performance, and cost standpoint

• Implement early demonstration projects

• Conduct system-wide GI alternatives assessment

• Initiate further changes to promote and facilitate GI

• Develop GI design and maintenance manuals

• Develop monitoring and tracking plan

Decision Point #3:Performance

warrants incorporation of

‘green’

• Monitoring and assessment

• Initiate further changes to promote and facilitate GI

• Development of Adaptive Management Plan

Revert to Gray Infrastructure

Revert to Gray Infrastructure

Preferred Outcome:

Modify Consent Order and Agreement to

include green infrastructure

• Submit revised plan to Regulators

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Long Term Considerations

Desire flexibility to choose between green and gray solutions based on measured past performance

Desire flexibility to achieve stormwater improvements through various means i.e. - private vs. public improvements

Desire flexibility to focus on integrated watershed planning instead of a narrow focus on CSOs

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Conclusions

PWSA to initiate progress on time-sensitive gray solutions while evaluating feasibility of green approaches

Establish initial actions and series of decision points for moving forward with the ‘greening of the wet weather plan’

Establish a more flexible framework which will allow for adaptation and optimization of the plan as it is implemented

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