Green Compass Projects Aim to Better Manage DC Stormwater
By Keith Loria September 9, 2021 9:51 am
reprints
DC Green Bank has closed on a $650,000 loan facility to finance the construction of a five-project portfolio of environmentally friendly infrastructure to better manage and clean stormwater runoff in Wards 5, 7, and 8 in Washington, D.C.
The loan will enable Green Compass, a sustainable development company, to design, build, and operate five stormwater management and green infrastructure projects over the next year and a half, according to a prepared statement.
The 10,000 square feet of infrastructure will mainly involve de-paving surfaces and replacing with spaces that manage stormwater, reduce runoff and pollution, and improve local air and water quality. “The new projects aim to divert up to 250,000 gallons of stormwater runoff that would otherwise enter the sewer system every storm,” according to a DC Green Bank statement.
“DC Green Bank is excited to partner with Green Compass for our first investment in green infrastructure and stormwater management,” Eli Hopson, DC Green Bank’s CEO, said in the prepared release. “These projects will deliver tangible benefits for the health and wellbeing of the citizens of D.C., as well as for our environment.”
The portfolio will cost around $1.5 million in total and deliver 147 new trees, as well as additional plants and grasses. It will also preserve 52 existing trees, per the company statement. Those new trees and green spaces will help the ground absorb more water post-storm, leaving less runoff for D.C.’s sewers and waterways.
According to the statement, “when rainwater enters the sewer system, it becomes a costly waste product that flows directly into the Anacostia River, Rock Creek, and the Potomac River without treatment.”
“The investment will help communities that have historically not seen an equitable level of public investment and are likely to face increasing flood risks in the coming years due to climate change,” Hopson said. “In addition to providing cleaner water, cleaner air, and increasing resilience to flooding for communities in the District, these projects will also support the clean economy by delivering dozens of green jobs, including in construction, landscaping, groundskeeping, urban forestry, and engineering.”
Construction of the first project is already in-progress in Ward 8, and is projected to capture and filter roughly 65,000 gallons of polluted runoff per storm and save the site more than $42,000 in costs over 12 years, per the statement.
Update: This story originally misattributed source material. This has been corrected. We apologize for the error.
Keith Loria can be reached at kloria@commercialobserver.com.
