An example of green infrastructure – a vegetated swale. This is one of the ways the town plans to improve stormwater quality in town.
Come learn about how to making greener streets will help keep the Charles River cleaner during a workshop hosted by the Watertown Department of Public Works and the Stormwater Advisory Committee.
The meeting will be held at 6 p.m. on Tuesday, June 21 at Town Hall, in the Council Chambers.
When it rains, the runoff from Watertown driveways and streets goes into the stormwater system, which ends up draining into the Charles River – untreated, said Watertown Public Works Superintendent Gerald Mee.
“We need to educate people, if you drop your dog waste in the storm drain it goes to the river,” Mee said.
Another major concern that might not occur to residents is grass clippings, which have chemicals – including phosphorous – which is a major pollutant of the Charles River.
As a way to try to reduce the amount of stormwater going into the river, and clean it before it gets there, the town is moving toward upgrading its green infrastructure.
Instead of flowing through downspouts, pipes, and other engineered systems directly to water bodies, green infrastructure uses vegetation, soils, and other natural elements to reduce the amount of stormwater and stormwater pollutants, the DPW announcement said.
Some features that will be installed in some streets around Watertown are vegetated swales along the edge of sidewalks, near the roadway.
At the meeting, the presentation will focus on:
- Where are sources of stormwater pollution in Watertown and how do they affect the Charles River?
- What is green infrastructure and how can it be used to treat stormwater?
- Where has green infrastructure been used?
- How can green infrastructure be incorporated into future Town projects and private developments?
For more information, contact: Matt Shuman (mshuman@watertown-ma.gov) at 617-972-6420.
Visit us at our project website at: http://www.watertowndpw.org/Pages/Stormwater%20Mgmt%20MISC%20Info/Green%20Infrastructure%20Grants