EPA's Stormwater Management Actions

In This Section

EPA is taking the following actions to meet its federal stormwater management requirements and achieve its stormwater management goals:

Projects at EPA Headquarters

EPA, in collaboration with the U.S. General Services Administration, is demonstrating low impact development (LID) and sustainable stormwater management practices in a landscape renovation project at its Federal Triangle Headquarters complex in Washington, DC.

Projects at Other EPA Facilities

Boston, Massachusetts – Future Region 1 office
EPA’s new Boston regional office, a renovated historic post office, is expected to be occupied in FY 2010. A green roof with intensive and extensive plantings will encompass 25 percent of the building’s footprint. Irrigation water will come from roof runoff and air conditioning condensation.
Cincinnati, Ohio - Andrew W. Breidenbach Environmental Research Center (AWBERC)
AWBERC has implemented several LID techniques for stormwater management. Additionally, EPA asked a civil design firm to re-envision the AWBERC site with as many LID strategies as possible. The site was analyzed as a design example for a hypothetical stormwater retrofit focusing on sustainable practices aimed at restoring natural watershed functions through small-scale treatment at the source of runoff. The resulting hypothetical design document now serves as a teaching tool for EPA office buildings across the United States. Read a case study of the stormwater practices at AWBERC.
Athens, Georgia - National Exposure Research Laboratory
The Office of Research and Development National Exposure Research Laboratory in Athens, Georgia, minimized parking lot areas to reduce the amount of impermeable surface and using permeable paving for parking area pavements. Native plants and grasses were planted to increase bio-filtration and soil stabilization. In addition, a stormwater pond retrofit was completed in FY 2008.
Denver, Colorado - Region 8 Office
A three-terrace, 20,000 square foot extensive green roof at the EPA Region 8 office in Denver, Colorado, reduces and delays peak stormwater flows in the flood-prone downtown Denver area. The roof also serves as a “living laboratory” for monitoring the viability of six species of sedum, as well as the roof’s utility in reducing peak flow runoff, treating pollutants, and mitigating the urban heat island effect.

Stormwater Management Best Practices and Techniques

EPA uses this list of best practices, which are sometimes referred to as Integrated Management Practices (IMPs) within the LID community, to guide its stormwater management projects.

Learn about the specific stormwater management techniques that are employed at EPA’s Headquarters in Washington, DC.

Revised Architecture and Engineering (A&E) Guidelines

EPA revised the Architecture and Engineering Guidelines within the Agency’s Facilities Manual to improve the section on stormwater management. This section guides facility engineers on topics such as street drainage, watershed development, erosion and sedimentation control, stormwater retention and detention, roof recovery and cisterns, distributed stormwater management techniques, minimization of impervious areas, and other LID implementation methods.

Inventorying Existing Stormwater Practices

EPA is compiling an inventory of its existing stormwater practices to identify opportunities for retrofits. These retrofits may contribute to outdoor water conservation, which is a requirement of the Guiding Principles in the Federal Leadership in High Performance and Sustainable Buildings Memorandum of Understanding. Executive Order 13423 requires that 15 percent of existing building inventory of the agency meet the Guiding Principles by FY 2015.