Onondaga County’s Green Infrastructure Program

Green Improvement Fund (GIF) Public Information Meeting

Tom Rhoads, Madison Quinn, Paul Legnetto

OCDWEP

Bj Adigun, Matthew Marko CH2M HILL

May 30, 2013

Joanne M. Mahoney, County Executive Onondaga Lake Amended Consent Judgment (ACJ) Compliance Program

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2 Balanced Approach to CSO Abatement

Regulatory Goals • Capture and Treat 95% of the

Annual CSO Volume via Gray & Green Infrastructure

• Achieve water quality standards in tributaries and lake

Community Impacts/Goals • Improve quality of life through

environmental responsibility

• Promote sustainability

• Ensure cost effectiveness in compliance with ACJ milestones

• Community revitalization

Major Milestones • 89.5% capture/elimination by 12/31/2013

• 95% capture/elimination by 12/31/2018

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• 100+ projects completed or under construction • 100+ million gallons runoff captured annually • Signature projects:

▫ OnCenter Green Roof ▫ War Memorial Reuse System ▫ HB Wetland ▫ Library Projects ▫ Vacant Lot Initiative ▫ Urban Forestry & Rain Barrel Programs

• Green Improvement Fund Program

Save the Rain Program Highlights

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4 Green Program Update

Courts-4-Kids

City Lot # 4

Connective Corridor

Townsend Parking Lot B

Urban Forestry Program

Water Street Gateway

Pass Arboretum Park

Otisco Street

OnCenter Green Roof

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5 GIF Program Highlights • Program Statistics

▫ 117 applications submitted for grant funding to-date

▫ 36 grant awarded projects completed ▫ 54 projects under contract for 2013 construction

season ▫ 10 applications currently being evaluated and

finalized (Note: 17 applications failed to receive grant funding)

▫ For those Projects Completed: ▫ 14.2 Million Gallons removed from combined

sewers (annually)

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6 GIF Program Projects

Dunbar Association

Copper Beech Commons

King & King Architects

Mister Lady Bug

Monroe Building

Jefferson-Clinton Commons

Hotel Skyler

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7 GIF Program

The Green Improvement Fund (GIF) is a grant program to incentivize the development of green infrastructure stormwater mitigation techniques on private property

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8 GIF Program To-Date • Program Evolution

▫ GIF 1.0 (March 2010) $3 million pilot program $100K funding limit per project/ $250K for multiple projects 25 applications submitted

▫ GIF 2.0 (June 2011) Full-program (pilot complete), expanded geography $200K funding limit per project Greater emphasis on gallon capture 60 applications submitted

▫ GIF 3.0 (July 2012) Funding limits eliminated Revised Program Description and streamlined Application Greater emphasis on efficiency in GI implementation 20 applications submitted

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9 GIF Program Boundary Has Evolved

March 2010 – Pilot Area

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June 2010 – Removing Midland RTF

GIF Program Boundary

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June 2011 – Expanded Geography

GIF Program Boundary

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March 2013 (most recent version)

GIF Program Boundary

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Stormwater Management Model (SWMM)

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▫ USEPA developed publicly available software that estimates stormwater runoff within sewersheds

• Tracks individual CSO’s and drainage areas ▫ Evaluation method for measuring ACJ compliance ▫ Model updated in 2012

▫ The update included an upgrade to software version 5.0.022; the incorporation of the Low Impact Development (LID) module; and the inclusion of more accurate physical data, LIDAR topology, an aerial survey of imperviousness, USDA soil survey parameters, the 012‐2013 regulator weir survey, ArcHydro sub‐catchment delineation, intra‐sub‐catchment routing, and real time control (RTC) programming

▫ Models all system components in one model, including the benefits of storage systems

SWMM Analysis

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15 Original Model Network - 2011 • 2 separate models with free

outfalls • HBIS: 3 pump stations (PS) • MIS: 1 PS, 1 RTF and EBSS

gates • Not geo-referenced • Used SWMM default

infiltration parameters • Imperviousness obtained by

visual interpretation of aerial photos

• Simplified wet weather operation controls

• Model network vs GIS trunk sewer alignments (shown as background)

Onondaga Lake

HBIS

MIS

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Submitted as part of 2012 ACJ Annual Report

• One combined model with refined boundary conditions (Metro Headworks)

• 1,807 vs. 503 nodes; 1,909 vs. 577 conduits; and 456 vs. 94 subcatchments

• HBIS: 3 pump stations (PS) • MIS: 4 PS, 2 RTFs and modified

EBSS gates • Geo-referenced • Used USDA soil survey data • Imperviousness based on

Syracuse aerial survey GIS land cover and supplemented with Landsat imagery

• Improved wet weather operation controls

• Calibrated Creek/Brook tailwater conditions based on USGS stream gauges(

HBIS

MIS

Onondaga Lake

•Updated Model Network - 2012

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• Subcatchment Delineation with ArcHydro Procedures

• Imperviousness Characterization

• Infiltration Methodology

Surface Hydrology Onondaga

Lake

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impervious

Manhole to combined

sewer pervious

Subcatchment-Flow Routing

impervious

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19 Incorporate Green Infrastructure Modeling (SWMM Low Impact Development [LID] Module)

Surface Layer

Soil Layer

Storage Layer

Underdrain

Evaportranspiration

Prec

ipita

tion

Infil

tr.

Bio-retention Cell

Overflow To Outlets

Drain To Outlets

Perc

. In

filtr

.

Runoff from other

Catchment Areas

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20 Combined Sewer System (CSS) Map revised May 2013

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21 SWMM Optimization Example

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22 Impact on GIF Successful projects implemented to date (Gray + Green),

and a better understanding of the system through SWMM, enables a more strategic approach to CSO abatement

▫ New program boundary based on updated SWMM • Site verification as necessary to confirm boundary conditions

▫ Strategic approach to GIF incentives ▫ Some CSO-sheds are successfully completed and will be eliminated ▫ For CSO’s that remain in program, proposed funding incentives will

be prioritized based on efficiency (High, Medium, Low) ▫ GIF submission and review procedures to remain unchanged

▫ Largely unchanged Program Description and Application, as well as new program Map available via STR website (www.savetherain.us)

▫ GIF award calculator spreadsheet will be made public and available during application development

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23 GIF Calculator ▫ The GIF “calculator” is the tool where the business case for

grant funding is justified, evaluating runoff reduction and cost of work to determine a grant award amount

▫ Based on some basic site specific input data, the proposed runoff reduction is calculated, and has a monetary value (“volume based compensation”)

▫ Based on the proposed scope of work, combined with typical GI installation costs across the program area, the cost to complete the work is estimated

The applicant is awarded, on a line item basis, the lesser of the amounts (value for runoff reduction, vs. maximum cost of work)

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Other items of interest: ▫ Funding for Green Roof projects is on par with porous

pavement systems ▫ Minimum project size of 60,000 gallons (runoff per year) ▫ Calculator can be used for “capture and slow release”

as well as “water reuse” systems* ▫ Calculator can be used for “green separation” projects* ▫ Some itemized “gray” items may be eligible for reimbursement

if they are required to facilitate the GI* ▫ Engineering compensation is a function of construction cost ▫ Field Testing has a maximum amount ▫ We no longer compensate for Structural Analysis

*consultation with WEP recommended

GIF Calculator

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25 SWMM Impact on

GIF ▫ Proposed funding

per gallon runoff to remain at $0.30 for high priority areas*

▫ Proposed medium priority areas to receive $0.20/gallon

▫ Proposed low priority areas to receive $0.10/gallon

▫ Some CSOs eliminated from program

*$0.25 for projects over 500,000 gpy

DRAFT

DRAFT

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26 Schedule ▫ Moratorium to end mid-June 2013 ▫ GIF projects under contract are not affected by moratorium ▫ GIF applications received but not under contract will be

evaluated using both old & new policy guidelines ▫ It will take approximately 25-30 days to process backlog

▫ New applications will be reviewed under new program guidelines

▫ New guidelines to remain in place for 6 month period ▫ Program to be closed to new applications at noon on

December 16, 2013 and re-evaluated ▫ SWMM update will be performed, including new

prioritization ▫ Goal is to re-open application process in Feb-March 2014

for upcoming construction season

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Question/Answer

Thank You!

Please Visit us at www.SaveTheRain.us

Questions?