Stormwater Structures

Stormwater runoff is a major cause of water pollution in urban areas. When rain falls on our roofs, streets, and parking lots in cities, the water cannot soak into the ground as it should. Conventionally, stormwater drains through gutters, storm sewers, and other engineered collection systems and is discharged into nearby water bodies.  An alternative, green stormwater infrastructure, is a nature-based approach to improving water quality that urban stormwater runoff causes and provides greater benefits than conventional stormwater solutions. Green stormwater infrastructure are soil-water-plant systems that intercept stormwater, infiltrate a portion of it into the ground, evaporate a portion of it into the air, and in some cases release a portion of it slowly back into the sewer system or nearby water body. In addition to improved water quality, green stormwater infrastructure provides benefits such as beautified communities, improved public health, and the creation of wildlife habitat.​

 

There are 34 structural and non-structural green stormwater infrastructure practices located within Roger Williams Park. There are 13 infiltration basins, 2 sand filters, 5 bio-retention rain gardens, 3 bioswales, 4 pavement removal projects, and 7 buffer plantings. The stormwater structure MAP provides details of the structures' locations. This SPREADSHEET provides technical details on the stormwater structures. For an interactive introduction to some of the stormwater structures located near Picture Posts, check out our walking/biking tour.