Improving Water Quality by Dealing with the First Inch of Rain

The suburban city of Mount Rainer, Maryland aimed to restore the water quality Anacostia River, which was polluted by polluted stormwater runoff from urban and agricultural lands. The city developed Urban Green Infrastructure Plan to encourage community members to install nature-based stormwater control practices. Since 2013, the city has implemented strategies include rainwater harvesting facilities, rain gardens, permeable parking lots and alleys, and urban greening. EPA’s Stormwater Calculator help the city quantify the effectiveness of strategies in stormwater reduction and help select the appropriate strategies. The project managed to secure funding from the Chesapeake Bay Trust for implementation.