Implementing green infrastructure for stormwater management and combined sewer overflow control

Green infrastructure has been used in many countries as a source control measure of stormwater runoff. Chicago is one of the many cities that have a combined sewer system and frequently faces overflows. This study proposes a stormwater management system along Chicago's riverfront. The area of green infrastructure to be studied (77,300 m(2)) is composed of wetland, pond and permeable pavement and was designed to collect, store, treat and discharge or reuse 23,620,000 litres of water. A 49.1% reduction in runoff has been determined for the wetland/pond system compared to the current scenario. The permeable pavement, in turn, infiltrated and stored on average, 325,000 litres of stormwater daily. The stormwater collected from the pavement would be used for non-potable purposes, providing potable water savings up to 6.5%, and serving more than 13,000 people of the neighbourhood. The findings highlight the great potential of green infrastructure to improve stormwater management.