Allegheny County is advancing on two recent rain garden projects in Downtown and North Park, the first rain gardens the County has planned.
Last week, Allegheny County Executive
Dan Onorato announced the construction of a 1,200-square-foot rain garden at the intersection of Lake Shore Drive and Walter Road in
North Park. The garden, designed by
Gateway Engineers, is a joint effort between Allegheny County and the
Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection. It is currently under construction.
"The rain garden will help protect the watershed from pollutants in runoff from impervious surfaces such the roads and parking lots," says Kevin Evanto with the County. "The garden will also retain stormwater and help reduce flash flooding."
In May, the County
announced its Downtown Office Building would be receiving a green roof (the first green roof on a public building in the County), and that planters in the Courthouse Courtyard would be converted into rain gardens. The green roof is still in the RFP process, and could be under construction in September, says Evanto, and the Courtyard gardens are currently under construction. The four existing planters have been retrofitted and converted into rain gardens, meaning the four spouts have been diverted into the planting beds, and the planters have been filled with new soil and drainage material, and are being filled with drought-tolerant native plants.
In Southwestern Pennsylvania, an average storm can produce two inches of rain in a 24-hour period. Even two inches of rain falling on a roof can result in more than 600 gallons of water rushing through downspouts and into sewer systems. As little as 1/10 inch of rain can cause combined sewers to overflow.
Writer:
Caralyn GreenSource: Kevin Evanto, Allegheny County
Photograph courtesy Allegheny County