AMITA PAWAR

ANCHITA MIRWANKAR
ARJUN SINHA
DEV SONI
HIRAL SHAH
MALHAR VORA
MANALI PATEL
PALASH AWASTHI
SHARVARI TAMHANE
SHRIYA BALAKRISHNAN
VIDHI MEHTA
Public infrastructure is infrastructure that is owned by the public or is for
public use. It is generally distinguishable from private or generic
infrastructure in terms of policy, financing, purpose.

Public infrastructure includes the following:

 Solid waste management
 Energy infrastructure
 Green infrastructure
SOLID WASTE MANAGEMENT
INFRASTRUCTURE

3
 OVERVIEW

 Kinds of Wastes

 Waste Generation

 Solid Waste management methods

KINDS OF WASTES
Solid wastes: wastes in solid forms, domestic, commercial and industrial
wastes Examples: plastics , bottles, cans, papers, scrap iron, and other
trash

Liquid Wastes: wastes in liquid form Examples: domestic washings,

chemicals, oils, waste water from ponds, manufacturing industries and
other sources.

Bio-degradable :can be degraded (paper, wood, fruits and others)

Non-biodegradable :cannot be degraded (plastics, bottles, old

machines, cans, Styrofoam containers and others)

Hazardous wastes: Substances unsafe to use commercially, industrially,

agriculturally, or economically and have any of the following properties-
ignitability, corrosively, reactivity & toxicity.

Non-hazardous : Substances safe to use commercially, industrially,

agriculturally, or economically and do not have any of those properties
mentioned above. These substances usually create disposal problems.
SOURCES OF WASTES
 STRUCTURE OF SOLID WASTE
Solid Waste

Refuse Trash

Bulky wastes (TV, refrigerators goods,

Broken furniture, etc.)

Garbage Rubbish

non-degradable (glass, rubber,

Metals, plastics non-metal set)

Vegetables, Meats, food

Wastes and other readily
Degradable organic wastes slowly degradable (paper, wood
Products, textiles etc.)
WASTE COLLECTION IN INDIA
 Primarily by the city municipality
-No gradation of waste product e.g. bio-degradable, glasses,
polybags, paper shreds etc.
-Dumps these wastes to the city outskirts
 Local raddiwala / kabadiwala
 -Collecting small iron pieces by magnets
-Collecting glass bottles
-Collecting paper for recycling
SOLID WASTE MANAGEMENT METHODS
1.LANDFILL
 It is the most traditional method of waste disposal.
 Waste is directly dumped into disused quarries, mining voids or
borrow pits.
 Disposed waste is compacted and covered with soil
 Gases generated by the decomposing waste materials are often
burnt to generate power.
 It is generally used for domestic waste.
ADVANTAGES
 Landfill site is a cheap waste disposal option for the local council.
 Jobs will be created for local people.
 Lots of different types of waste can be disposed of by landfill in comparison to
other waste disposal methods.
 The gases given off by the landfill site could be collected and used for
generating power.

DISADVANTAGES
 The site will look ugly while it is being used for landfill.
 Dangerous gases are given off from landfill sites that cause local air pollution
and contribute to global warming.
 Local streams could become polluted with toxins seeping through the ground
from the landfill site.
 Once the site has been filled it might not be able to be used for
redevelopment as it might be too polluted.
2.INICINERATION
 Incineration is a waste treatment process that involves the
combustion of solid waste at 1000C.
 waste materials are converted into ash, flue gas, and heat.
 The ash is mostly formed by the inorganic constituents of the waste
and gases due to organic waste.
 the heat generated by incineration is used to generate electric
power.
ADVANTAGES
 Minimum of land is needed compared to other disposal methods.
 The weight of the waste is reduced to 25% of the initial value.
 No risk of polluting local streams and ground waters as in landfills.
 Incineration plants can be located close to residential areas.
 Gases are used to generate power.

DISADVANTAGES
 Expensive
 Required skilled labour.
 The chemicals that would be released into the air could be strong
pollutants and may destroy ozone layer (major disadvantage).
 high energy requirement.
 3.COMPACTION:
 The waste is compacted or compressed. It also breaks up large or
fragile items of waste.
 This process is conspicuous in the feed at the back end of many
garbage collection vehicles. Deposit refuse at bottom of slope for
best compaction and control of blowing litter.
4.PYROLYSIS:
 Pyrolysis is defined as thermal degradation of waste in the absence
of air to produce char, pyrolysis oil and syngas, e.g. the conversion of
wood to charcoal also it is defined as destructive distillation of waste
in the absence of oxygen. External source of heat is employed in this
process.
1 2

3
5.COMPOSTING

 It is a process in which organic matter of solid waste is decomposed

and converted to humus and mineral compounds.
 Compost is the end product of composting, which used as fertilizer.
 Three methods of composting:
(a) composting by trenching
(b) open windrow composting
(c) mechanical composting
COMPOSTING BY TRENCHING

 Trenches 3 - 12 m long, 2 – 3 m wide and 1- 2 m deep with spacing 2

m.
 Dry wastes are filled up in 15 cm. On top of each layer 5 cm thick
sandwiching layer of animal dung is sprayed in semi liquid form.
 Biological action starts in 2- 3 days and decomposition starts.
 Solid waste stabilize in 4- 6 months and changed into brown colored
odorless powdery form known as humus.
OPEN WINDROW COMPOSTING

 Large materials like broken glass, stone, plastic articles are removed.
 Remaining solid wastes is dumped on ground in form of piles of 0.6 – 1 m
height.
 The width and length of piles are kept 1- 2 m and 6 m respectively.
 Moisture content maintained at 60%.
 Temp. increases in side pile.
 After pile for turned for cooling and aeration to avoid anaerobic
decomposition.
 The complete process may take 4- 6 week.
MECHANICAL COMPOSTING

 It requires small area compare to trenching and open windrow

composting.
 The stabilization of waste takes 3- 6 days.
 The operation involved are
- reception of refuse
- segregation
- shredding
- stabilization
- marketing the humus
 Vermicompost (or vermi-compost) is the product of
the composting process using various species of worms, usually red
wigglers, white worms, and other earthworms, to create
a heterogeneous mixture of decomposing vegetable or food
waste, bedding materials, and vermicast. This process of producing
vermicompost is called vermicomposting.
6. RECYCLING:

 Recycling is processing used materials into new products .

 It reduce the consumption of fresh raw materials,
reduce energy usage, reduce air pollution (from incineration) and
water pollution (from landfilling).
 Recycling is a key component of modern waste reduction and is the
third component of the "Reduce, Reuse, Recycle" waste hierarchy.
 Recyclable materials include many kinds
of glass, paper, metal, plastic, textiles, and electronics.
 Although similar in effect, the composting or other reuse
of biodegradable waste – such as food or garden waste – is not
typically considered recycling.
 Materials to be recycled are either brought to a collection centre or
picked up from the curbside, then sorted, cleaned, and reprocessed
into new materials.
ENERGY
INFRASTRUCTURE
 ENERGY
 What is energy?
 In what forms is it available?
 Is Energy a critical aspect of the development process of a nation ?
 Can you think of producing a commodity or service without using energy?

ENERGY INFRASTRUCTURE
• Energy Infrastructure is defined as the large-scale enabling technologies to
• Transport energy from producer to consumer
• Direct and manage energy flow
• Energy Infrastructure naturally includes the traditional utilities associated with
energy transport and management (coal transport trains, natural gas
pipelines, electric transmission lines, etc.).
• However, the field also covers large-scale energy management technology
such as advanced electricity metering and distribution systems, smart
building technologies, and modern power plant control systems. The figure
below illustrates that the energy infrastructure is effectively the interconnect
between energy production and energy consumption.
 ENERGY
INFRASTRUCTURE

THERMAL ENERGY RENEWABLE ENERGY NUCLEAR POWER

NUCLEAR
COAL SOLAR POWER
POWER PLANT

FUSION/FISSION
NATURAL GAS BIO FUEL
POWER

PETROLEUM HYDROPOWER

GEOTHERMAL
ENERGY

WIND
 SOURCES OF ENERGY
 There are commercial and non-commercial sources of energy.
 Commercial sources are coal, petroleum and electricity as they are
bought and sold.
 Non-commercial sources of energy are firewood, agricultural waste and
dried dung. These are noncommercial as they are found in
nature/forests.
 While commercial sources of energy are generally exhaustible (with the
exception of hydropower), noncommercial sources are generally
renewable.
 More than 60 per cent of Indian households depend on traditional
sources of energy for meeting their regular cooking and heating needs.
 Both commercial and non-commercial sources of energy are known as
conventional sources of energy.
 There are three other sources of energy which are commonly termed as
non-conventional sources — solar energy, wind energy and tidal power.
 Being a tropical country, India has almost unlimited potential for
producing all three types of energy if some appropriate cost effective
technologies that are already available are used. Even cheaper
technologies can be developed.
 CONSUMPTION PATTERN OF ENERGY
 In India, commercial energy consumption
makes up about 74 per cent of the total
energy consumed in India.
 Non-commercial energy sources consisting of
firewood, cow dung and agricultural wastes
 The critical feature of India’s energy sector,
and its linkages to the economy, is the import
dependence on crude and petroleum
products, which is likely to grow rapidly in the
near future.
 The transport sector was the largest consumer
of commercial energy in 1953-54.
 However, there has been continuous fall in the
share of the transport sector while the shares
of the household, agriculture and industrial
sector have been increasing.
 The share of oil and gas is highest among all
commercial energy consumption. With the
rapid rate of economic growth, there has
been a corresponding increase in the use of
energy.
 THERMAL POWER
 Thermal power energy maintains a leading position among the
fuel used energy for power generation

India has large reserves of coal. As

Coal
of April 2012, total coal reserves
stood at 293.5 billion tonnes; of
this, 118.1 billion tonnes were
Therma proven reserves
l
India’s proven natural gas reserves
69% Gas measure about 1,074 billion cubic
metres
• Thermal power plants convert energy rich fuel into electricity and
heat. Possible fuels include coal, natural gas, petroleum products,
agricultural waste and domestic trash /waste.
• Thermal power accounts for 69 % in total energy production.
• Thermal power is produced from coal oil and natural gas. Total
installed capacity of thermal power is 171376.09 MW
SCHEMATIC PROCESS DIAGRAM OF
THERMAL POWER PLANT
 POLLUTION FROM THERMAL POWER
PLANTS
 The high ash content in India's coal affects the thermal power
plant's potential emissions.
 Therefore, India's Ministry of Environment and Forests has
mandated the use of beneficiated coals whose ash content has
been reduced to 34% (or lower) in power plants in urban,
ecologically sensitive and other critically polluted areas, and
ecologically sensitive areas.
 Coal benefaction industry has rapidly grown in India, with current
capacity topping 90 MT.
 The Ministry of Environment and Forests has published a technical
guidance manual to help project proposers and to prevent
environmental pollution in India from thermal power plants.
 The operating coal fired power stations need to invest nearly INR
12.5 millions per MW capacity for installing pollution control
equipment to comply with the latest emission norms notified by
the Ministry of Environment and Forests in the year 2016.
 COAL RESERVE IN INDIA
 A large part of Indian coal reserve has low calorific value and high ash
content.
 The carbon content is low in India's coal, and toxic trace element
concentrations are negligible.
 The natural fuel value of Indian coal is poor. The Indian power plants using
India's coal supply consume about 0.7 kg of coal to generate a kWh,
whereas United States thermal power plants consume about 0.45 kg of
coal per kWh. This is because of the difference in the quality of the coal, as
measured by the Gross Calorific Value (GCV).
 Indian coal has a GCV of about 4500 Kcal/kg, whereas the quality
elsewhere in the world is much better; for example, in Australia, the GCV is
6500 Kcal/kg approximately.
 India imported nearly 95 Mtoe of steam coal and coking coal which is 29%
of total consumption to meet the demand in electricity, cement and steel
production.
 The state and central power generation companies are permitted by
Government of India with flexible coal linkage swaps from inefficient plants
to efficient plants and from plants situated away from coal mines to pit
head to minimize cost of coal transportation thus leading to reduction in
cost of power
REPLACEMENT OF OLD THERMAL POWER PLANTS
 India's coal-fired, oil-fired and natural gas-fired thermal power plants are
inefficient and offer significant potential for greenhouse gas (CO2)
emission.
 India's thermal power plants emit 50% to 120% more CO2 per kWh
produced when compared to the average emissions from their European
Union (EU-27) counterparts.
 The central government has firmed up plans to shut down 11,000 MW of
thermal power generation capacity that are at least 25 years old and
replace with bigger size plants of super-critical pressure technology
totaling to at least 20,000 MW with for an estimated investment of ₹70,000
crore (US$11 billion)
 As part of this plan around 100 old units of capacities ranging between 60
MW to 220 MW will be replaced by around 30 state-of-the-art super-critical
units ranging between 660 MW to 800 MW, thus saving ₹40,000
crore (US$6.2 billion) on land acquisition as well infrastructure cost like rail
and water linkages along with facilities like ash pond and power
evacuation lines.
 Recently few old diesel generator plants and gas turbine plants (Vatwa
100 MW) were also decommissioned. However their residual life can be
used effectively for grid reserve service by keeping them in working
condition and connected to grid.
 NATURAL GAS CONSTRAINTS
 The installed capacity of natural gas-based power plants and the ready to
be commissioned with the commencement of natural gas supply is nearly
26,765 MW at the end of financial year 2014-15.
 These base load power plants are operating at overall load of 25% only due
to severe shortage of Natural gas in the country.
 Imported Liquefied Natural Gas was too costly for the power generation.
Many of these power stations are shut down throughout the year for lack of
natural gas supply.
 Indian government has taken steps to enhance the generation from the
stranded gas based power plants for meeting peak load demand by
waiving applicable import duties and taxes due to drastic fall in the LNG and
crude oil international prices.
 Though LNG landed prices are competitive to the electricity generation from
the imported coal, there is limitation to import LNG due to lack of
adequate regasification capacity. By the middle of 2016, LPG international
spot prices have also fallen drastically due to LPG market glut.
 This would facilitate use of LPG in place of Naphtha or diesel oil (23 kg of LPG
is equal to one mmbtu) where the gas based power plants are not able to
receive re-gasified LNG. This is possible by injecting cheap imported LPG in to
the natural gas supply pipelines up to the permitted hydrocarbon dew point.
 NUCLEAR POWER
Nuclear power is the use of nuclear reactions
that release nuclear energy to generate heat,
which most frequently is then used in steam
turbines to produce electricity in nuclear
power plant. The term includes nuclear fission,
nuclear decay and nuclear fusion.
India has 22 nuclear reactors in operation in 8
nuclear power plants, having capacity of 6780
MW .
Nuclear is the only carbon-free, base load
form of electricity that we have. Connecticut
has environmental goals where they want a
certain percentage of their power to be
carbon-free.
The Government of India intends to draw
twenty-five per cent of its energy from nuclear
power by 2050.
PRODUCTION OF NUCLEAR
ENERGY
Nuclear energy is produced through
nuclear fission and nuclear fusion.
Nuclear fission is the splitting of heavy
nucleus into 2 lighter nuclei that have similar
mass.
Energy produced during nuclei fission is
called nuclear energy.
Nuclear energy can be produced through
nuclear fission of a radioactive element in a
nuclear reactor.
The energy produced from nuclear fusion is
safe for use.
As you know nuclear power plants use
“nuclear fission” (the process of splitting an
atom in two). “Nuclear fusion” (the process
of combining atoms into one) has the
potential to be safer but has not yet been
developed to operate within a large power
plant.
 NUCLEAR POWER PLANT
The nuclear power plant is power station that applies fission fuel to
generate electricity. About that system, it boils water by using the heat
produced by fission reaction in a nuclear reactor in order to generate
water vapor, and that water vapor rotates a steam turbine.
Those system is mostly same with thermal power plants or natural gas-
fired power plants, but one difference is that nuclear power plants use
uranium as a resource of the fission fuel.

PROCESS TO PRODUCE ELECTRICITY

GENERALIZED BLUEPRINT OF A NUCLEAR POWER
PLANT
 THE RADIOACTIVE DISPOSAL OF WASTE
The categorization waste treatment
• High, intermediate, low
• High-level wastes require shielding and cooling. They need to be
disposed of deep underground in engineered facilities built in stable
geological formations. While no such facilities for high-level wastes
currently operate.
• Low-level wastes can be handled easily without shielding. Low-level
and intermediate wastes are buried close to the surface. For low-
level wastes disposal is not much different from a normal municipal
landfill.
USES OF NUCLEAR ENERGY
• Generation of electricity
• Nuclear medicine test
• Used in agriculture
• Manufacture of atomic bomb
 ADVANTAGES OF NUCLEAR ENERGY
The generation of electricity through nuclear energy reduces the
amount of energy generated from fossil fuels (coal and oil) which
reduces use of fossil fuels means lowering greenhouse gas emissions
(CO2 and others).
Fossil fuels are consumed faster than they are produced, so in the next
future these resources may be reduced or the price may increase
becoming inaccessible for most of the population.
 DISADVANTAGES OF NUCLEAR ENERGY
• Big risk of the nuclear accident.
• Radioactive waste from spent nuclear fuel is the most difficult issue of
the nuclear power generation.
• The use of the nuclear power in the military industry. The first use of
nuclear power was the creation of two nuclear bombs.
RENEWABLE SOURCES OF ENERGY
 Renewable energy is energy that is collected from renewable
resources, which are naturally replenished on a human timescale,
such as sunlight, wind, rain, tides, waves, and geothermal heat.
 Renewable energy often provides energy in four important areas:
electricity generation, air and water heating/cooling, transportation,
and rural (off-grid) energy services.
MAINSTREAM TECHNOLOGIES

 Wind power
 Hydro power
 Solar energy
 Geothermal energy
 Bio energy
 Energy storage
Wind power energy
 Airflows can be used to run wind turbines. Modern utility-scale wind
turbines range from around 600 kW to 5 MW of rated power, although
turbines with rated output of 1.5–3 MW have become the most
common for commercial use.
 The power available from the wind is a function of the cube of the
wind speed, so as wind speed increases, power output increases up to
the maximum output for the particular turbine. Areas where winds are
stronger and more constant, such as offshore and high altitude sites,
are preferred locations for wind farms. Typically full load hours of wind
turbines vary between 16 and 57 percent annually, but might be higher
in particularly favorable offshore sites.
Hydro power energy
 Hydroelectricity is electricity produced from hydropower. In 2015
hydropower generated 16.6% of the world's total electricity and 70%
of all renewable electricity, and was expected to increase about
3.1% each year for the next 25 years.

 Generating methods
Conventional (dams)
Most hydroelectric power comes from
the potential energy of dammed water
turbine and generator. The power
extracted from the water depends on
the volume and on the difference in
height between the source and the
waters outflow. This height difference
is called the head. A large pipe delivers
water from the reservoir to the turbine.
Pumped-storage
This method produces electricity to supply high peak demands by
moving water between reservoirs at different elevations At times of low
electrical demand, the excess generation capacity is used to pump
water into the higher reservoir. When the demand becomes greater,
water is released back into the lower reservoir through a turbine.
Pumped-storage schemes currently provide the most commercially
important means of large-scale grid energy storage and improve the
daily capacity factor of the generation system. Pumped storage is not
an energy source, and appears as a negative number in listings.
Run-of-the-river
Run-of-the-river hydroelectric stations are those with small or no reservoir
capacity, so that only the water coming from upstream is available for
generation at that moment, and any oversupply must pass unused. A
constant supply of water from a lake or existing reservoir upstream is a
significant advantage in choosing sites for run-of-the-river.

Tide
A tidal power station makes use of the daily rise and fall of ocean water
due to tides; such sources are highly predictable, and if conditions
permit construction of reservoirs, can also be dispatchable to generate
power during high demand periods. Less common types of hydro
schemes use water's kinetic energy or undammed sources such as
undershot water wheels. Tidal power is viable in a relatively small
number of locations around the world.
Solar energy
 Solar energy, radiant light and
heat from the sun, is harnessed
using a range of ever-evolving
technologies such as solar
heating, photovoltaics,
concentrated solar power
(CSP), concentrator
photovoltaics (CPV), solar
architecture and artificial
photosynthesis.
 Solar technologies are broadly
characterized as either passive
solar or active solar depending
on the way they capture,
convert and distribute solar
energy
 Passive solar techniques include orienting a building to the Sun,
selecting materials with favorable thermal mass or light dispersing
properties, and designing spaces that naturally circulate air.
 Active solar technologies encompass solar thermal energy, using
solar collectors for heating, and solar power, converting sunlight into
electricity either directly using photovoltaics (PV), or indirectly using
concentrated solar power (CSP).
 A photovoltaic system converts light into electrical direct current
(DC) by taking advantage of the photoelectric effect. Solar PV has
turned into a multi-billion, fast-growing industry, continues to improve
its cost-effectiveness, and has the most potential of any renewable
technologies together with CSP. Concentrated solar power (CSP)
systems use lenses or mirrors and tracking systems to focus a large
area of sunlight into a small beam.
 Geothermal energy
 The adjective geothermal originates
from the Greek roots geo, meaning
earth, and thermos, meaning heat.
 High Temperature Geothermal
energy is from thermal energy
generated and stored in the Earth.
Thermal energy is the energy that
determines the temperature of
matter. Earth's geothermal energy
originates from the original formation
of the planet and from radioactive
decay of minerals. The geothermal
gradient, which is the difference in
temperature between the core of
the planet and its surface, drives a
continuous conduction of thermal
energy in the form of heat from the
core to the surface.
Bio energy
 Biomass is biological material derived from living, or recently living
organisms. It most often refers to plants or plant-derived materials
which are specifically called lignocellulosic biomass.
 As an energy source, biomass can either be used directly via
combustion to produce heat, or indirectly after converting it to
various forms of biofuel.
 Conversion of biomass to biofuel can be achieved by different
methods which are broadly classified into: thermal, chemical, and
biochemical methods. Wood remains the largest biomass energy
source today; examples include forest residues – such as dead trees,
branches and tree stumps – yard clippings, wood chips and even
municipal solid waste. In the second sense, biomass includes plant or
animal matter that can be converted into fibers or other industrial
chemicals, including biofuels. Industrial biomass can be grown from
numerous types of plants, including corn, poplar, willow, sorghum,
sugarcane, bamboo, and a variety of tree species, ranging from
eucalyptus to oil palm (palm oil).
Energy storage
 Energy storage is a collection of methods used to store electrical energy
on an electrical power grid, or off it.
 Energy storage is the capture of energy produced at one time for use at
a later time. A device that stores energy is sometimes called an
accumulator.
 Electrical energy is stored during times when production (especially from
intermittent power plants such as renewable electricity sources such as
wind power, tidal power, solar power) exceeds consumption, and
returned to the grid when production falls below consumption. Pumped-
storage hydroelectricity is used for more than 90% of all grid power
storage.
 Applications
o Mills
o Home energy storage
o Grid electricity
o Air conditioning
o Transport
o Electronics
Advantages of renewable energy
 One major advantage with the use of renewable energy is that it is
renewable so it is therefore sustainable and so will never ru out.
 Renewable energy facilities generally requires less maintenance than
traditional generators. Their fuel being derived from natural and
available resources reduces the costs of operation
 Even more importantly, they produces little or o waste products such
as CO2 or other pollutants.
 Economic benefits to many regional areas, as most projects are
located in rural areas. These economic benefits may be from the
increased use of local services as well as tourism.
Disadvantages of renewable energy
 It is difficult to generate the quantities of electricity that are as large
as those produced traditional fossil fuel generators
 Renewable energy often relies on the weather for its source of power
 Hydro generators need rain to fill dams to supply flowing water.
 Wind turbines need wind to turn the blades, and solar collectors
need clear skies and sunshine to collect heat and make electricity.
 When these resources are unavailable so is the capacity to make
energy from them. This can be unpredictable and inconsistent.
GREEN
INFRASTRUCTURE
INTRODUCTION

 Green infrastructure is an approach to water management that

protects, restores, or mimics the natural water cycle. Green
infrastructure is effective, economical, and enhances community
safety and quality of life.
 It means planting trees and restoring wetlands, rather than
building a costly new water treatment plant. It means choosing
water efficiency instead of building a new water supply dam. It
means restoring floodplains instead of building taller levees.
 Green infrastructure incorporates both the natural environment
and engineered systems to provide clean water, conserve
ecosystem values and functions, and provide a wide array of
benefits to people and wildlife.
 Green infrastructure solutions can be applied on different
scales, from the house or building level, to the broader
landscape level. On the local level, green infrastructure
practices include rain gardens, permeable pavements, green
roofs, infiltration planters, trees and tree boxes, and rainwater
harvesting systems. At the largest scale, the preservation and
restoration of natural landscapes (such as forests, floodplains
and wetlands) are critical components of green infrastructure.
 Green infrastructure investments boost the economy,
enhance community health and safety, and provide
recreation, wildlife, and other benefits.
 Many forward-looking cities are already embracing green
infrastructure, including New York, Chicago, Portland, Seattle,
San Francisco, Minneapolis-St. Paul, Milwaukee, Kansas
City, Toledo, Cincinnati, and Philadelphia, as well as many
others.
WHAT IS GREEN INFRASTRUCTURE?
 Green infrastructure is often defined
based on the scale that is being
discussed. At its broadest, green
infrastructure refers to an
"interconnected network of green space
that conserves natural systems and
provides assorted benefits to human
populations" (McMahon and Benedict,
2006). At the local scale, green
infrastructure is an approach to
managing storm water by infiltrating it
in the ground where it is generated
using vegetation or porous surfaces, or
by capturing it for later reuse. Green
infrastructure is often used
interchangeably with the term "low
impact development", but there are
nuanced differences between the two.
Low impact development (LID) is an
approach to land management that
aspires to restore or maintain pre-
development hydrological conditions.
Green infrastructure refers to the
techniques used to implement low
impact development with regard to
storm water. This fact sheet will focus
on green infrastructure practices that
can be installed at the local scale to
effectively manage storm water.
GENERAL BENIFITS
Some people might expect that green spaces are excessive to
maintain and extravagant in nature, but high-performing green
spaces can provide real economic, ecological and social benefits.
 Urban forestry in an urban environment can supplement
managing storm water and reduce the energy usage costs and
runoff in result.
 Bio-retention systems can work to create a green transportation
system.
 Higher abundance of green space in communities or
neighbourhoods is observed to have higher frequencies in
participation of physical activity among elderly men.
 More green space around one's house is associated with better
mental health.
 high performing green spaces work to create a balance between
built and natural environments.
Help in improving storm water management by:
• Reducing storm water volume. Runoff is captured or absorbed by the
green infrastructure practice thereby reducing the flow of stormwater to
the storm sewer, reducing the occurrence of CSOs where they exist, and
reducing flooding in local waterways.
• Reducing impervious cover. Surfaces that allow water to penetrate are
"pervious" or "permeable" while those that do not are "impervious".
Examples of impervious cover are roads, driveways, and parking lots.
Some green infrastructure techniques replace impervious cover with
permeable surfaces, which leads to reduced stormwater runoff when it
rains.
• Decreasing and delaying peak discharge. Peak discharge is the
highest rate of flow in a stream, which is influenced by the land cover in
the surrounding watershed. In areas with high impervious cover, in
addition to decreasing runoff to streams, green infrastructure practices
capture and absorb stormwater volume, slowly infiltrating water into the
ground, which attenuates peak volumes thereby reducing the burden on
the sewer system.
• Preventing pollution. Many green infrastructure practices filter or
remove stormwater pollutants such as heavy metals, nutrients, sediment,
and pathogens, which leads to improved water quality. Additionally, green
infrastructure often prevents pollution-carrying runoff from reaching the
local waterway by absorbing and treating stormwater near its source.
• Recharging groundwater. Green infrastructure techniques that absorb
runoff allow water to penetrate into the soil, which replenishes the
groundwater supply. Groundwater provides base flow to local rivers and
streams as well as provides the drinking water supply to many New Jersey
municipalities.
Help in reducing cost by:
• Reducing energy needs. Green infrastructure practices that utilize
vegetation insulate surfaces in cooler months, provide evaporative
cooling in the summer months, and provide shade while reducing
wind speeds. These benefits lead to reduced heating and/or cooling
costs. Additionally, rainwater harvesting provides a local source of
water for free as opposed to potable water which requires an energy-
intensive treatment and transportation process.
• Reducing potable water demand. Many homeowners use drinking
water to irrigate their lawns, even though plants do not require
treated water to thrive. Rainwater harvesting can reduce potable
water usage, leading to lower water bills and less demand on the
water supply. Additionally, replacing turf with a bioretention system
such as a rain garden or vegetated swale reduces the need for
irrigation once plants are established, leading to lower water usage.
• Reducing maintenance costs. Many green infrastructure practices
are open systems, allowing for easy access during maintenance.
Traditional stormwater management systems are closed and require
machinery to access the pipes for maintenance. Permeable pavement
installations do not have pothole issues like conventional pavement
because the water moves through the surface without freezing.
Permeable pavement systems also require less salt in the winter
because of the reduced occurrence of black ice on the surface. The
maintenance of many green infrastructure practices can be done by
hand and does not require expensive machinery to keep them
operational.
Help improve individual and community well being by:
• Improving human health. Green infrastructure practices can
reduce the potential for human exposure to raw sewage through
decreased incidence of flooding and CSOs. With green
infrastructure homeowners are less likely to have storm water
and raw sewage flooding their basements. CSOs may be
triggered less often which results in reduced exposure to
waterborne pathogens and toxic chemicals. With the reduction in
CSOs, water quality is also improved, which could make those
waterways safe for fishing and swimming.
• Improving neighbourhood aesthetics. Many green
infrastructure practices utilize flowers, shrubs, and other plants
to improve runoff absorption and to reduce storm water
pollution. These plants complement the existing landscaping and
enhance the beauty of the surrounding environment.
• Cooling cities and improving air quality. Asphalt absorbs
heat throughout the day and releases it at night, keeping city air
at elevated temperatures with no opportunity for cooling. Green
infrastructure practices allow for greater air movement,
reflection of heat, and provide shading that can cool urban
environments. Air quality is improved by green infrastructure
because lower temperatures can lead to reduced smog
formation, while plants used in these practices absorb air
pollutants and reduce carbon dioxide levels.
• Increased recreation opportunities and property values.
TYPES OF GREEN INFRASTRUCTURE
1. Rain Garden
Rain gardens are designed to collect storm water from
impervious surfaces such as roofs, walkways and parking lots, then
hold it in a planted, depressed area where it may be absorbed into
the ground. Rain gardens can be connected to sewer systems
through an overflow structure, but usually they are sized to infiltrate the
collected storm water runoff into the ground. Rain gardens contain
soils high in organic matter and plants that tolerate wet conditions.
Rain gardens are effective at removing pollutants from storm water,
improving storm water quality and reducing storm water runoff
volume.
Where it works: residential yards, office and commercial storefronts,
parks, rights-of-way and parking lots.
Advantages: easy and inexpensive to install; wide range of scales
and site applicability; improves water and air quality; aesthetically
pleasing; reduces runoff volume.
Disadvantages: requires relatively flat site.
Western Harbour, Malmo, Sweden.
2. Permeable Paving
Permeable paving is designed to allow water to pass through it,
preventing runoff associated with conventional pavement. It provides the
structural support of conventional pavement, but is made up of a porous
surface and an underlying aggregate layer. The aggregate layer provides
temporary storage before the water infiltrates into the soil. Another type of
permeable paving contains an aggregate layer and an underground pipe
that routes storm water to a collection system. The added underdrain is a
“slow it” technology. There are many different types of porous surfaces
including pervious asphalt, pervious concrete and interlocking pavers.
Where it works: parking lots, low-traffic streets, driveways, bike paths, patios,
plaza and sidewalks.
Advantages: reduces runoff volume and attenuates peak flows; improves
water quality by reducing fine-grained sediment, organic matter and trace
metals; reduces heat island effect (the phenomenon of urban areas
retaining heat due to the prevalence of pavement).
Disadvantages: limited to paved areas with low traffic volumes and limited
speeds; limited to slopes less than 5 percent; difficult in sites with
compacted soils.
Futuro office park, Liestal, Switzerland
3. Flow-through planter
These planters allow storm water to flow and filter through
vegetation, growing medium and gravel. They temporarily store storm
water runoff on top of the soil and filter sediment and pollutants as
water infiltrates down through the planter. Planters do not infiltrate
runoff into the ground, rather they rely on evapotranspiration (water
uptake by plants) and short-term storage to manage storm water.
Where it works: poorly drained sites; sites with contaminated soils;
drainage from rooftop gutters; adjacent to streets where runoff may
be directed into them for treatment.
Advantages: planted vegetation helps lessen storm water flows, traps
sediments and reduces erosion; reduces storm water volume and
removes pollutants; provides water detention in significant rainfall
events.
Disadvantages: may require irrigation to maintain plants in the dry
season.
Rush University Medical Center, Chicago, Illinois
4. Vegetated Roof
A vegetated roof, or green roof system, is composed of multiple layers
including a waterproof membrane, subsurface drainage pipes, engineered
planting soils and specially selected plants. Green roofs can be installed on many
types of roofs, from small slanting roofs to large, flat commercial roofs. There are
two basic types of green roofs: extensive and intensive. An extensive green roof
system is a thin, lighter-weight system (usually less than 6 inches deep) planted
predominantly with drought-tolerant succulent plants and grasses. An intensive
green roof is deeper, often 18 inches, and can support plants that require great
root depth.
Where it works: commercial, multifamily and industrial structures, as well as single-
family homes, garages and sheds; can be used for new construction or to re-roof
an existing building if there is sufficient structural support; roof slopes less than 5
degrees or greater than 20 degrees are not suitable.
Advantages: reduces the volume and velocity of storm water runoff from roofs by
temporarily storing storm water; provides added insulation and noise reduction
compared to conventional roofs; reduces urban heat island effect and lowers
temperature of storm water runoff; increases biodiversity and habitat and
provides aesthetic amenities.
Disadvantages: limited to roof slopes less than 20 degrees; additional structural or
seismic support may be needed to bear added weight; irrigation required to
establish plants and maintain them during dry periods; high upfront cost
compared to other green infrastructure.
Vancouver Convention Centre, Vancouver, Canada
5. Constructed Wetland
These man-made wetlands are designed to reduce, detain
and treat stormwater runoff. Water is stored in shallow vegetated
pools that are designed to support wetland plants and simulate
natural wetland ecosystems. Constructed wetlands have many of the
same ecological functions as natural wetlands and are beneficial for
flood control and water quality improvement.
Where it works: must be sited on relatively flat areas with less than 2
percent grade; can receive drainage from upstream slopes of up to
15 percent.
Advantages: provides flood attenuation and reduces storm water
peak flows; highly effective at removing storm water pollutants;
provides valuable wetland habitat and community and aesthetic
amenities; easily customizable for various sizes site conditions and
budgets.
Disadvantages: requires relatively large land area; requires periodic
maintenance to ensure plant health and remove debris; if improperly
designed, can become a mosquito breeding ground or drowning
hazard.
Teardrop Park, Battery Park City, New York
6. Detention Tank
A detention tank is an underground structure designed to
briefly hold both wastewater and storm water runoff during peak flows
and then slowly release those flows for downstream treatment. The
tanks can be used to alleviate localized flooding, while also lessening
the demand on treatment facilities during storm events and
decreasing the likelihood of downstream flooding and/or combined
sewer discharges. The tanks are usually constructed out of concrete;
the area above the tanks can be landscaped and used for other
purposes, such as playgrounds or parking lots.
Where it works: requires open land, such as a parking lot, a street right
of way or the basement of a new building.
Advantages: provides high-volume storage protection against
flooding; attenuates peak flows; good for sites where storm water
infiltration is not an option, such as those with contaminated urban
soils.
Disadvantages: limited in removing pollutants; subsurface stability is
required for building underground structure; underground systems are
expensive.
Ravinia Festival south parking lot, Highland Park, Illinois
7. Rainwater Harvesting
Rainwater harvesting is the collection and storage
of stormwater runoff from impervious surfaces for later use in irrigation, toilet
flushing or other non-potable uses. By temporarily holding stormwater runoff
during a heavy rain, rain barrels and cisterns functionally add capacity to
the city’s sewer system. However, they only serve as an
effective stormwater control function if the stored water is used or emptied
between most storms so that there is free storage volume for the next storm.
Rain barrels are designed to overflow into the sewer system through the
existing downspout connection in large storm events.
Where it works: above-ground storage must be sited in a stable, flat area;
rainwater storage cannot block path of travel for fire safety access;
overflow locations must be designed to direct flows away from building
foundations and adjacent properties.
Advantages: reduces volume and peak flows of storm water entering the
sewer; reduces energy and chemicals needed to treat storm water; low
maintenance for above ground cisterns; good for sites where infiltration is
not an option; recycles water for non-potable reuse.
Disadvantages: may require pumps or valves to use stored water; roof
surfaces should not contain copper or materials treated with fungicides
and herbicides if storing and reusing water for irrigation; prone to algal
growth if placed in warm and sunny location; does not remove pollutants.
Cumberland Park, Nashville, Tennessee
8. Creek Daylighting
Creek daylighting refers to uncovering and restoring natural
creeks, streams and rivers that were previously buried in underground
pipes or culverts, or otherwise removed from view. Daylighting historic
creek channels can decrease demand on treatment facilities and
enhance local neighborhoods.
Where it works: Well suited for historic creek paths that meander
through existing open space or the public right-of-way.
Advantages: provides flood attenuation and reduces storm water
peak flows; highly effective at removing storm water pollutants and
recharging groundwater; provides valuable habitat and community
and aesthetic amenities.
Disadvantages: High installation and maintenance costs; often
requires land acquisition; area will not receive full benefits if only
fragments of creek are day lit.
Cheonggyecheon Creek, Seoul, South Korea