Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Retrofitting LID Practices into Existing Neighborhoods: Is It Worth It?

  • Published:
Environmental Management Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Low-impact development (LID) practices are gaining popularity as an approach to manage stormwater close to the source. LID practices reduce infrastructure requirements and help maintain hydrologic processes similar to predevelopment conditions. Studies have shown LID practices to be effective in reducing runoff and improving water quality. However, little has been done to aid decision makers in selecting the most effective practices for their needs and budgets. The long-term hydrologic impact assessment LID model was applied to four neighborhoods in Lafayette, Indiana using readily available data sources to compare LID practices by analyzing runoff volumes, implementation cost, and the approximate period needed to achieve payback on the investment. Depending on the LID practice and adoption level, 10–70 % reductions in runoff volumes could be achieved. The cost per cubic meter of runoff reduction was highly variable depending on the LID practice and the land use to which it was applied, ranging from around $3 to almost $600. In some cases the savings from reduced runoff volumes paid back the LID practice cost with interest in less than 3 years, while in other cases it was not possible to generate a payback. Decision makers need this information to establish realistic goals and make informed decisions regarding LID practices before moving into detailed designs, thereby saving time and resources.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4
Fig. 5

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Ahiablame LM, Engel BA, Chaubey I (2012) Representation and evaluation of low impact development practices with L-THIA-LID: an example for site planning. Environ Pollut 1:1–13

    Google Scholar 

  • Ahiablame LM, Engel BA, Chaubey I (2013) Effectiveness of low impact development practices in two urbanized watersheds: retrofitting with rain barrel/cisterns and porous pavements. J Environ Manage 119:151–161

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ando AW, Freitas LPC (2011) Consumer demand for green stormwater management technology in an urban setting: the case of Chicago rain barrels. Water Resour Res 47:1–11

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Banting D, Doshi H, Li J, Missios P, Au A, Currie BA, Verrati M (2005) Report on the environmental benefits and costs of green roof technology for the city of Toronto. Ryerson University, Toronto

    Google Scholar 

  • Bean EZ, Hunt WF, Bidelspach DA (2007) Evaluation of four permeable pavement sites in eastern North Carolina for runoff reduction and water quality impacts. J Irrig Drain Eng 133:583–592

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bhaduri B, Grove M, Lowry C, Harbor J (1997) Assessing the longterm hydrological impact of land-use change: cuppy-mcclure watershed. Indiana J Am Water Works Assoc 89:94–106

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Bianchini F, Hewage K (2012) How “green” are green roofs? Lifecycle analysis of green roof materials. Build Environ 48:57–65

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Boulware EWB (2004) Harvesting the rain: considering rainwater catchment as a domestic source. Plumb Syst Des, pp 42–45

  • Brattebo BO, Booth DB (2003) Long-term stormwater quantity and quality performance of permeable pavement systems. Water Res 37:4369–4376

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Brinkman E, Seekamp E, Davenport MA, Brehm JM (2012) Community capacity for watershed conservation: a quantitative assessment of indicators and core dimensions. Environ Manage 50(4):736–749

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Cahill TH, Adams M, Marm C (2003) Porous asphalt: the right choice for porous pavements. Hot Mix Asphalt Technol, pp 26–40

  • Carter T, Butler C (2008) Ecological impaacts of replacing traditional roofs with green roofs in two urban areas. Cities Environ 1:1–17

    Google Scholar 

  • Carter T, Fowler L (2008) Establishing green roof infrastructure through environmental policy instruments. Environ Manage 42(1):151–164

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Choi W (2007) Estimating land-use change impacts on direct runoff and non-point source pollutant loads in the Richland Creek basin (Illinois, USA) by applying the L-THIA model. J Spatial Hydrol 7:47–65

    Google Scholar 

  • CNT (Center for Neighborhood Technology) (2009) National green values (tm) calculator methodology. Center for Neighborhood Technology, Chicago

  • Davis AP (2005) Green engineering principles promote low-impact development. Environ Sci Technol 39:338A–344A

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Davis AP (2008) Field performance of bioretention: hydrology impacts. J Hydrol Eng 13:90–95

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Davis AY, Pijanowski BC, Robinson K, Engel BA (2010) The environmental and economic costs of sprawling parking lots in the United States. Landuse Policy 27:255–261

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Dietz ME (2007) Low impact development practices: a review of current research and recommendations for future directions. Water Air Soil Poll 186:351–363

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Dietz ME, Clausen JC, Filchak KK (2004) Education and changes in residential nonpoint source pollution. Environ Manage 34(5):684–690

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Engel BA (2001) L-THIA NPS long-term hydrologic impact assessment non point source pollutant model. Purdue University, West Lafayette

    Google Scholar 

  • Engel BA, Ahiablame L (2011) L-THIA LID long-term hydrologic impact assessment low impact development model. Visual basic application. Purdue University, West Lafayette

    Google Scholar 

  • Engel BA, Hunter J (2009) L-THIA LID long-term hydrologic impact assessment low impact development model. Spreadsheet version. Purdue University, West Lafayette

    Google Scholar 

  • ESD DER (2007) Bioretention manual. Environmental services division, department of environmental resources, Prince George’s County, Maryland

  • Grove M, Harbor J, Engel BA, Muthukrishnan S (2001) Impacts of urbanization on surface hydrology, little eagle creek, indaina, and analysis of LTHIA model sensitivity to data resolution. Phys Geogr 22:135–153

    Google Scholar 

  • Gunderson J, Roseen R, Janeski T, Houle J, Simpson M (2011) Economical CSO management. Stormwater 12:10–25

    Google Scholar 

  • Gunn R, Martin A, Engel B, Ahiablame L (2012) Development of two indices for determining hydrologic implications of land use changes in urban areas. Urban Water J 9:239–248

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Harbor JM (1994) A practical method for estimating the impact of land-use change on surface runoff, groundwater recharge, and wetland hydrology. J Am Plann Assoc 60:95–108

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hatt BE, Fletcher TD, Walsh CJ, Taylor SL (2004) The influence of urban density and drainage infrastructure on the concentrations and loads of pollutants in small streams. Environ Manage 34(1):112–124

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Houdeshel C, Pomeroy C, Hair L, Moeller J (2011) Cost-estimating tools for low-impact development best management practices: challenges, limitations, and implications. J Irrig Drain Eng 137:183–189

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Houle J, Roseen R, Ballestero T, Puls T, Sherrard J (2013) Comparison of maintenance cost, labor demands, and system performance for LID and conventional stormwater management. J Environ Eng 139:932–938

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Hunt WF, Smith JT, Jadlocki SJ, Hathaway JM, Eubanks PR (2008) Pollutant removal and peak flow mitigation by a bioretention cell in urban charlotte, N.C. J Environ Eng 134:403–408

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Keeley M, Koburger A, Dolowitz DP, Medearis D, Nickel D, Shuster W (2013) Perspectives on the use of green infrastructure for stormwater management in cleveland and milwaukee. Environ Manage 51(6):1093–1108

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lim KJ, Engel BA, Muthukrishnan S, Harbor J (2006a) Effects of initial abstraction and urbanization on estimated runoff using CN technology. J Am Water Resour As 42:629–643

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lim KJ, Engel BA, Tang Z, Muthukrishnan S, Choi J, Kim K (2006b) Effects of calibration on L-THIA GIS runoff and pollutant estimation. J Environ Manage 78:35–43

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Liu Y, Ahiablame LM, Bralts VF, Engel BA (2015a) Enhancing a rainfall-runoff model to assess the impacts of BMPs and LID practices on storm runoff. J Environ Manage 147:12–23. doi:10.1016/j.jenvman.2014.09.005

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Liu Y, Bralts VF, Engel BA (2015b) Evaluating the effectiveness of management practices on hydrology and water quality at watershed scale with a rainfall-runoff model. Sci Total Environ 511:298–308. doi:10.1016/j.scitotenv.2014.12.077

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Mentens J, Raes D, Hermy M (2006) Green roofs as a tool for solving the rainwater runoff problem in the urbanized 21st century? Landscape Urban Plan 77:217–226

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Montalto F, Behr C, Alfredo K, Wolf M, Arye M, Walsh M (2007) Rapid assessment of the cost-effectiveness of low impact development for CSO control. Landscape Urban Plan 82:117–131

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • NCSU (2011) Urban waterways—maintaining permeable pavements (No. AG-588-23 W). North Carolina State University and North Carolina A&T State University Cooperative Extension, Raleigh

  • NRCS (1986) Urban hydrology for small watershed (Technical Release No. 55). USDA Natural resources conservation services, Washington

  • Pandey S, Gunn R, Lim K, Engel B, Harbor J (2000) Developing a web-enabled tool to assess long-term hydrologic impact of land use change: information technologies issues and a case atudy. J Urban and Reg Inf Syst Assoc 12:5–17

    Google Scholar 

  • Roseen RM, Ballestro TP, Houle JJ, Briggs JF, Houle KM (2012) Water quality and hydrologic performance of a porous asphalt pavement as a storm-water treatment stratagy in a cold climate. J Environ Eng 138:81–89

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Rowe DB (2011) Green roofs as a means of pollution abatement. Environ Pollut 159:2100–2110

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Roy AH, Wenger SJ, Fletcher TD, Walsh CJ, Ladson AR, Shuster WD, Thurston HW, Brown RR (2008) Impediments and solutions to sustainable, watershed-scale urban stormwater management: lessons from Australia and the United States. Environ Manage 42(2):344–359

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Sample DJ, Heaney JP, Wright LT, Koustas R (2001) Geographic information systems, decision support systems, and urban storm-water management. J Water Resour Plan and Manage 127(3):155–161.

  • SEMCOG (2008) Low impact development manual for michigan: a design guide for implementers and reviewers. Southeast Michigan Council of Governments, Detroit

    Google Scholar 

  • Tang Z, Engel BA, Pijanowski BC, Lim KJ (2005) Forecasting land use change and its environmental impact at a watershed scale. J Environ Manage 76:35–45

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • TunnelTalk (2009) Lafayette CSO breakthrough [WWW Document]. TunnelTalk. http://www.tunneltalk.com/LafayetteCSO-Jul09-Lafayette-CSO-breakthrough.php. Accessed 23 May 2013

  • US Army Corps of Engineers Train the Trainer Manual (2012) L-THIA LID tutorials

  • USACE (2012) U.S. army corps of engineers train the trainer manual. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Detroit

  • USDA NRCS (2011) Soil survey geographic (SSURGO) database for Tippecanoe County

  • USEPA (2003) Protecting water quality from urban runoff (No. EPA 841-F-03-003). U.S Environmental Protection Agency, Washington

  • USEPA (2004) Report to congress: impacts and control of CSOs and SSOs (No. EPA 833-R-04-001). U.S Environmental Protection Agency, Washington

  • USEPA (2005) Bioretention (Rain Gardens) [WWW Document]. EPA—stormwater menu BMPs. http://cfpub.epa.gov/npdes/stormwater/menuofbmps/index.cfm?action=browse. Accessed 21 August 2013

  • USEPA (2007) Reducing stormwater costs through low impact develeopment (LID) strategies and practices (No. EPA 841-F-07-006). U.S Environmental Protection Agency, Washington

  • USEPA (2008) Green roofs [WWW Document]. EPA—stormwater menu BMPs. http://cfpub.epa.gov/npdes/stormwater/menuofbmps/index.cfm?action=factsheet_results&view=specific&bmp=114. Accessed 11 Sep 2013

  • Wright TJ (2014) Retrofitting LID practices into existing neighborhoods: is it worth it?. Purdue University, West Lafayette

    Google Scholar 

  • Yu Z, Aguayo M, Montalto F, Piasecki M, Behr C (2010) Developments in LIDRA 2.0: a planning level assessment of the cost-effectiveness of low impact development. In: World environmental and water resources congress. pp 3261–3270

Download references

Acknowledgments

We thank Purdue University for financial support to conduct this research. We thank Mr. Larry Theller for his assistance with data used in this research.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Agricultural and Biological Engineering, Purdue University, 225 South University Street, West Lafayette, IN, 47907-2093, USA

    Timothy J. Wright, Yaoze Liu & Bernard A. Engel

  2. Department of Agricultural and Biological Engineering and Department of Youth Development and Agricultural Education, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, 47907, USA

    Natalie J. Carroll

  3. Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering, South Dakota State University, Brookings, SD, 57007, USA

    Laurent M. Ahiablame

Authors
  1. Timothy J. Wright
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Yaoze Liu
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Natalie J. Carroll
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Laurent M. Ahiablame
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. Bernard A. Engel
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Bernard A. Engel.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Wright, T.J., Liu, Y., Carroll, N.J. et al. Retrofitting LID Practices into Existing Neighborhoods: Is It Worth It?. Environmental Management 57, 856–867 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00267-015-0651-5

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00267-015-0651-5

Keywords

Search

Navigation