Action item: Evaluate opportunities to increase pump efficiency in water and wastewater systems; recover wastewater treatment methane for energy production.

Goal

• Investigate the feasibility of a rain garden pilot project.

In 2011, over 20,000 square feet of natural landscaping was incorporated into a new municipal parking lot project in the historic district. Native landscaping in the municipal parking lot project is a component of green infrastructure that manages the storm-water runoff from the parking lot.  Storm-water from the landscaped areas is filtered through native plantings before it enters a detention pond.  Storm-water from the parking lot infiltrates the permeable pavers, is stored under the pavers in a gravel base, and is then used to irrigate the plantings.  By utilizing the water collected under the pavers, the village saves approximately 295,000 gallons of water annually.  By creatively storing the runoff and reusing the water, a smaller detention pond was required and more parking could be installed to mitigate a parking shortfall.  This savings has minimized the environmental impacts associated with managing this storm-water.