Site Redesign
What is Site Redesign?
Pursuing a site redesign challenges the layout and function of an existing site to introduce environmentally and user-friendly sustainable solutions for stormwater management. Introducing sustainable practices, like green stormwater infrastructure (GSI), can improve a site’s stormwater management performance, as well as improve site affordance and aesthetic, create opportunities of outdoor spaces and introduce biodiversity. These improvements will also reduce utility fees related to irrigation and, in some cases, municipal stormwater fee credits. Rethinking site layout using GSI encourages community ownership and pride, promotes environmental education, combats climate change and ultimately creates resilient infrastructure. AQUALIS provides the full package of site redesign services, from site evaluation through site redesign, permitting and design-supported implementation.
Existing Site Evaluation
Since each site contains unique characteristics, it is important to perform a thorough assessment of existing conditions. These inspections evaluate environmental conditions, including soil(s), hydrology and vegetation. The assessment also evaluates current infrastructure and whether it can be replaced or upgraded to improve site function and sustainability.
Benefits of Site Redesign
Redesigning a site for sustainability has many long-term benefits. Implementing designs that use water as a resource allows for benefits like:
- Reduced Utility Fees
- Improved Site Function and Usability
- Enhance Site Aesthetics
- Improved Microclimate and Biodiversity
- Resiliency During Extreme Weather Conditions
- Long-term Site Compliance
Sustainable Design
Stormwater Compliance
Many sites may not be compliant with current stormwater management requirements. Municipalities often don’t require sites to update compliance unless work will occur on the site, such as repaving a parking lot. In these cases, a site redesign may be the best approach as redesign for sustainability can ultimately save money long-term and meet other site goals at the same time. Other sites grandfathered into compliance may receive a subsidy, grant funding, or fee credit reductions for upgrading compliance though redesign.
Including Green Stormwater Infrastructure (GSI) in a Site Redesign aims to:
- Improve water quality
- Reduce stormwater runoff
- Recharge groundwater
- Improve air quality
- Provide future adaptability to weather changes
- Mitigate flooding
Sustainable Redesign
AQUALIS Engineering Services Division provides the full package of site redesign services, from site evaluation through site redesign, permitting and implementation. This ensures that property owners will receive construction-informed design as well as design-supported implementation.
Common Types of Green Infrastructure
RSC are step pools that capture stormwater as it flows, preventing flooding and overflow.
Bioswales are open channels that use vegetation to infiltrate, biofilter, evapotranspire, and treat stormwater as it flows through a shallow channel or trench.
Permeable Pavement
Porous (permeable) pavements store and/or infiltrate rainwater in underlying layers of soil and gravel, which then either infiltrates into the ground or flows through an underdrain.
Soil amendments are the introduction of different materials to improve the overall functionality of the soil.
Native Landscaping
Devices installed at pipe or channel outfalls that convert high-velocity channelized flow into diffused sheet flow for infiltration and removal of particulate pollutants
Rain gardens are small, shallow, vegetated, and sunken areas that collect stormwater runoff and filter it through a mixture of soil, sand, or grave.
Green roofs are an alternative to conventional roofs, designed to reduce stormwater discharge through vegetation and a substrate that retains, detains, infiltrates, and evapotranspires rainwater.
Regenerative Stormwater Conveyance Used in Site Redesign
“Due to frequent high levels of nitrogen, phosphorus, chloride and suspended solids, finding a stormwater control measure that could significantly reduce pollutant loads was of the upmost importance to the stakeholders.”
Did you receive an NOV? Have an urgent need? We can help.
Notices of Violation (NOVs) or Corrective Notices should be taken seriously. Contact AQUALIS today to learn how to resolve the issue and comply with regulations.