The City of Tampa’s nature-based solution to urban flooding that improves water quality

Date: July 24, 2025 | 2:00 PM EST/1:00 PM CST
Speaker: Chris Chandler, PE
Credits: 1.0 PDH | 0.1 CEU | Approved for all Envirocert International, Inc. (ECI) Certifications: Approval #PDH-0157
Cost: Free

This recent success story of a nature-based solution to stormwater management lies within South Tampa, near MacDill Air Force Base. The project alleviates chronic widespread flooding that has plagued the Lower Peninsula Watershed for decades, while reducing pollutant and nutrient loads to Hillsborough Bay. The project design brilliantly uses space within a previously unmanaged 48-acre forested site to alleviate flooding and improve water quality by storing and treating stormwater runoff from surrounding residential areas, while providing the community a beautiful passive park supporting an abundance of native wildlife. Hear about this unique project from AtkinsRéalis – the design firm for this large progressive design-build project.

Learning Objectives:

• Evaluate a successful dual-purpose approach to stormwater management that provides a variety of benefits to the community and environment
• Analyze the impact of collaboration between the public, engineers, scientists, contractors, and government agencies
• Design creative and sustainable use of green infrastructure solutions in stormwater management

About the Presenter

Chris Chandler is a water resources engineer with 9 years of experience at AtkinsRéalis, and has extensive stormwater design, planning, and hydrologic & hydraulic modeling experience in West Central Florida. His career has been dedicated to creative flood relief projects, stormwater investigations, and stormwater drainage design for roadway corridor improvement projects, primarily in the greater Tampa Bay area. His experience with progressive design-build projects has allowed him to help lead complex projects through their life cycle from feasibility studies and concept design to completion of construction. Chris has successfully incorporated green infrastructure and LID solutions into several large stormwater projects throughout the Tampa Bay area, helping local municipalities reduce pollutant loads to the Tampa Bay estuary.

Sponsored by