O&M and Vegetation Management Plans
How Important Are Operations & Maintenance (O&M) And Vegetation Management Plans?
A key component to the success of any green stormwater infrastructure (GSI) or stormwater system is an established operations and maintenance (O&M) plan and a vegetation management plan (VMP). An operations and maintenance plan details the necessary training, management, budgeting and maintenance requirements to successfully operate stormwater systems. A vegetation management plan also details the necessary maintenance for a designed vegetation plan.
Maintenance Planning
Operation and Maintenance (O&M) Plans are established at the design of every property. This document includes building and property maintenance expectations. In this document, the overview of stormwater systems are included listing out regular maintenance tasks. A vegetation management plan is similar as it provides the property owner the insight to what type of vegetation is present on the property and how to best maintain it.
As the green stormwater infrastructure experts, AQUALIS has significant experience and teaming in the design, construction, inspection, rehabilitation and long-term maintenance of GSI and stormwater systems and can provide clients with efficient and comprehensive O&M and vegetation management plans. Like traditional stormwater management systems, GSI relies on regular maintenance to function at its full potential. A detailed O&M plan and vegetation management plan ensure that anyone tasked with maintaining GSI systems are equipped with the knowledge to properly perform their job.
Maintaining Green Infrastructure
Stormwater on Your Property
All types of green stormwater infrastructure benefit from an operations & maintenance plan or vegetation management plan. It is important to have a detailed vegetation management plan for green infrastructure that utilizes native landscaping. If the early stages of establishing native vegetation are successful, its long-term maintenance needs are greatly reduced. A good O&M plan is important in ensuring the installed green infrastructure is performing as designed. Some examples of green infrastructure that utilize O&M plans include:
- Bioretention
- Constructed Wetlands
- Green Roofs
- Native Landscaping
- Permeable Pavement
- Rain Gardens
- Regenerative Stormwater Conveyance (RSC)
- Sand Filters
Properly Managing Stormwater
AQUALIS provides development, implementation and restoration beginning with a thorough site assessment to analyze existing conditions. Utilizing hydrologic calculations, our Engineering Services Division can best understand the water flow and movement before and after implementation. Working directly with local regulators, AQUALIS will ensure your project complies with local and federal regulations while securing funding. Following best practices, regular inspections and testing and developing a long-term Operations and maintenance agreement ensures your project properly manages stormwater for years to come.
Additional Green Infrastructure
An alternative stormwater control measure that closely emulates a naturally occurring wetland therefore improving our water bodies.
A vegetated channeled depression or trench that captures and infiltrates stormwater runoff before it enters a stormwater drainage system.
A type of bioretention that is best suited for smaller sites to treat stormwater runoff.
Zones located along river banks that provide important habitats for wildlife, limit erosion and help to mitigate flooding events.
An alternative to traditional asphalt or concrete, permeable or porous pavement materials are designed to allow water flow around them into a stone media, or through the pavement.
An alternative to traditional roofs, green roofs incorporate areas traditionally underutilized for stormwater management, through capture, storage and evapotranspiration of stormwater.
The design and use of plants native to the site location as a long-term sustainable solution to manage rainwater and stormwater runoff.
Applied to improve soil performance, increase water absorption to allow vegetation to develop a desirable deep and healthy root system, and mycorrhizal network development.
A series of bioretention step-pools designed atop a porous stone media bed, to convey, control and treat stormwater runoff while protecting site soils from erosion.
Media filtration system used to treat stormwater runoff and improve water quality
Implementing Green Infrastructure- Milwaukee, Wisc.
The stormwater runoff from the newly acquired maintenance building drained to the combined sewer without properly treating the stormwater runoff prior to discharging to Lake Michigan. Removing the discharge from the combined sewer and draining it directly to Lake Michigan aids to reduction in combined sewer overflows. Treating the stormwater also improves water quality in the lake.
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