Projects

Land and Water Management Best Practices

Partners will work with the Metropolitan Sewer District of Greater Cincinnati (MSDGC), the Hamilton County Soil Conservation Service and others to implement storm water best practices on public and other lands owned or managed by the partners, especially focused on reducing storm water impacts that contribute to combined and separate sewer overflows.

Partners own and have responsibility for thousands of acres of land in the Greater Cincinnati area associated with buildings, campuses, roads, parks, special purpose uses and unwanted or abandoned properties. MSDGC is challenged to implement a hug program costing billions of dollars over the next 20 years to address combined and sanitary sewer overflows that can be mitigated by best practice or “green “ landscaping and flow management. USEPA has agreed to work with MSDGC to consider green alternatives to more expensive concrete and steel alternatives. MSDGC has already signed an agreement with Cincinnati Public Schools to implement green storm water solutions on new and existing schools. This agreement can be a model for other partners. The Hamilton County Soil Conservation Service has been working on storm water approaches to reduce erosion and protect and preserve stream corridors. Rain gardens and other strategies are being encouraged and supported.

Partners will form a storm water best practice team to work with MSDGC and others to identify and facilitate implementation of storm water best practices on public and partner managed properties.