Keep Indianapolis Beautiful: A Case Study of Reducing CSO Pollution by Green Infrastructure

In 2008, Keep Indianapolis Beautiful, Inc. (KIBI) relocated their headquarters to an existing 0.9 acre commercial site in the historic Fountain Square neighborhood in Indianapolis. KIBI has received a Gold LEED certification for the facility.The KIBI headquarters are located in the Indianapolis combined sewer system, for which the City is currently implementing a Combined Sewer Overflow Long-Term Control Plan. Facilities like KIBI, through its green infrastructure, reduce the runoff volume as well as pollutant loading to the combined sewer system. To evaluate the impacts of the green infrastructure, an EPA SWMM5 model of the stormwater collection system was developed and calibrated to observational data during rain events. The model was then applied on a continuous basis to determine the average annual reduction in runoff volume, as well as E. coli bacteria, BOD, and other parameters.