Implementation of Green Infrastructure in an Environmental Justice Community
Team: Alexis Aragon, Chelsey Cowburn, Ian Parvin, Katie Wadsworth
Sponsor: J-U-B Engineers
Project Summary
Rose Park is an environmental justice community located near Downtown Salt Lake City. The neighborhood faces numerous environmental challenges due to its location near the oil refineries and SLC airport. High Water Engineering was tasked with implementing a system of green infrastructure (GI) practices around the Day- Riverside library in an effort to sustainably manage stormwater and reduce pollution around the community.
Figure 1. Aerial view of project location
Figure 2. Existing site conditions
Alternatives
High Water evaluated 7 individual alternatives including:
- Green roof
- Rain garden
- Tree boxes
- Water harvesting
- Green wall
- Permeable pavement
- Bioswale
Packages of these alternatives were created based on a budget of $500,000 that the community could receive from the EPA.
Design Criteria
Selected Alternative
After evaluation, High Water Engineering chose to implement a package consisting of a green roof, bioswale, rain garden, permeable pavement in the parking lot, and tree boxes.
This package had the highest overall score from the Pugh matrix used to evaluate the alternatives based on the weighting of the design criteria. This package also fit the budget for the project, while maximizing the grant Rose Park could receive from the EPA.
Final Design
Figure 3. Proposed infrastructure layout
| New or Modified Facilities | |
|---|---|
| Facility | Description |
| A | Green Roof |
| B | Additional Rain Garden |
| C | Bioswale |
| D | Permeable Pavement |
| E | Tree Plantings |
| F | Water Collection |
Each element is designed to hold the 80th percentile storm value for Rose Park, which is 0.46 inches.
Guidelines for calculations from the Utah Department of Environmental Quality show that the dimensions of each element is dependent on the contributing drainage area, percent imperviousness, and infiltration rates of the soil.
To make the design more cost-effective for the community, the permeable pavement will not cover the entire area of the parking lot. A 3’x50’ catchment area will be placed at the north and south ends of the lot. The lot will then be graded to direct runoff toward the catchment areas.
Figure 4. Parking lot site plan
Figure 5. Library site plan
| Cost Estimate | |
|---|---|
| Item | Cost |
| Rain Garden | $107,616 |
| Tree Boxes | $18,750 |
| Permeable Pavement | $132,588 |
| Green Roof | $193,876 |
| Bioswale | $43,056 |
| TOTAL | $495,886 |
Support
High Water Engineering would like to thank the following individuals for all their support during the development of this project:
- Professor: Austin Ball, P.E., Utah State University
- Faculty Advisor: Dr. Ryan Dupont, Utah State University
- External PE: Andrew Hobson, P.E., J-U-B Engineers
- Client: Kevin Parke, Rose Park Community Council, and the rest of the Rose Park Community