BMPs and the Public Part II: Incorporating Overburdened Communities

Originally presented at StormCon 2022 on September 28, 2022, 1:30-2:00 PM

RiverSmart Homes is an award-winning program administered by the District of Columbia’s Department of Energy & Environment (DOEE) since 2009 that aims to reduce non-point source pollution from residential properties caused by stormwater runoff by working with residents in the District of Columbia (District) and subsidizing the installation of rain barrels, shade trees, rain gardens, BayScaping, and permeable pavers. Many municipal programs offer components similar to the RiverSmart Homes program but fail to ensure proper installation, maintenance, monitoring, and ongoing education about the environmental impacts of non-point source stormwater pollution. A stormwater site audit is conducted on each property which provides an opportunity to give site-specific recommendations for stormwater management and ensure proper sizing and placement of the RiverSmart practices. RiverSmart Homes presented “BMPs and the Public” at StormCon in 2019, focusing on the program’s history and successes and failures in outreach. In this follow-up presentation, we will discuss what measures RiverSmart Homes has taken since 2019 to improve education and outreach, especially in overburdened communities. These include, but are not limited to: creating an Ambassador’s program, expediting participants that are part of overburdened communities, and creating a free maintenance assistance program.

Presented by:

Queen Richardson – District of Columbia Department of Energy & Environment

Brendan Durkin – Department of Energy and the Environment, District of Columbia