Roach, Virginia

Virginia Roach is the Green Infrastructure Discipline Leader at CDM Smith with 39 years of design experience addressing stormwater, CSO and wastewater...

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About Roach, Virginia

Virginia Roach is the Green Infrastructure Discipline Leader at CDM Smith with 39 years of design experience addressing stormwater, CSO and wastewater issues. She was a contributing author for the WEF Design of Urban Runoff Controls Manual of Practice, and the WEF Green Infrastructure Implementation manual. Ginny holds degrees in Civil/Environmental Engineering and Mathematics from Worcester Polytechnic Institute and the College of the Holy Cross.

Roach, Virginia

Titles from this speaker

Green Infrastructure Approaches: A National Perspective

Abstract

Many Municipal Separate Storm Sewer System (MS4) and combined sewer communities across the country are constructing green infrastructure practices in addition to gray infrastructure to improve water quality and to reduce combined sewer overflows. The projects are prioritized in Environmental Justice neighborhoods and areas of urban flooding where the additional co-benefits from green infrastructure (aesthetics, community engagement, the reduction of heat island effects, as well as stormwater treatment and volume reduction) will improve the neighborhoods and create more resilient, equitable communities. Some communities are taking an area-wide approach, constructing multiple green infrastructure practices throughout tributary areas, in the right-of-ways and on public properties, such as parks, schools and housing developments. These types of green infrastructure projects control stormwater runoff closer to the source. Other communities with more available space for larger green infrastructure facilities are separating combined sewer systems and conveying stormwater to green infrastructure detention/retention basins at the downstream ends of the systems (Figures 1 and 2). Approaches to green infrastructure development also vary by climate. Arid areas of the southwestern United States prioritize stormwater harvesting more highly than water-rich communities in the northeast, and vegetated practices require different local native plant palettes. This presentation will review case studies of these and other approaches to fitting green infrastructure into urbanized settings across the country, including construction challenges, project costs and lessons learned. The case studies include green infrastructure programs for the Cities of Los Angeles, San Francisco, Denver, Tucson, Cleveland, Columbus, Detroit, New Orleans, Kansas City, New York City, Philadelphia, Hartford, Boston, New Bedford, Lowell and Toronto. These case studies are based on CDM Smith green infrastructure planning, design and construction projects over the past 15 years, as well as 2023 interviews with six 'best-in-class' green infrastructure program leaders (Table 1), conducted on behalf of the City of Denver Division of Green Infrastructure (DGI). To learn from the experiences of other established green infrastructure programs as DGI grows, DGI and CDM Smith conducted best-in-class interviews with Los Angeles, Philadelphia, Tucson, Detroit, San Francisco and Toronto to review their perspectives on what worked best in their programs, and how DGI can continue to improve their program moving forward. Common questions about green infrastructure programs are who will maintain it and how will we pay for it? The presentation will include a summary of various ways green infrastructure programs across the country are addressing maintenance, as well as life cycle costs by green infrastructure practice per acre treated.

We review approaches to fitting green infrastructure into urbanized settings across the US, including construction challenges, funding, maintenance & lessons learned. Case studies include green infrastructure programs in 16 cities & are based on CDM Smith's green infrastructure planning, design & construction projects over 20 years, as well as a 2024 Best Practices Study for Los Angeles Sanitation & Environment and 2023 interviews with 6 'best-in-class' green infrastructure program leaders.

SpeakerRoach, Virginia

Presentation time

14:15:00

14:45:00

Session time

13:30:00

15:00:00

SessionCase Studies Implementing Stormwater Parks and Green Infrastructure Across North America

Session number213

Session locationRoom 354

TopicIntermediate Level, Resilience, Safety, and Disaster Planning, Stormwater and Green Infrastructure

Author(s)

Roach, Virginia

Author(s)V.A. Roach1

Author affiliation(s)1CDM Smith, MA

SourceProceedings of the Water Environment Federation

Document typeConference Paper

PublisherWater Environment Federation

Print publication date Oct 2024

DOI10.2175/193864718825159691

Volume / Issue

Content sourceWEFTEC

Word count7

Invited Speaker Presentation: Michael Scaduto

Abstract

Currently, there are over 70 completed stormwater water quality projects that require operation and maintenance (O&M) and at least another 45 projects in Los Angeles Sanitation & Environment’s (LASAN’s) current Stormwater Capital Improvement Program (CIP) that will require O&M within the next five years. LASAN developed a Best Practices Study in 2024 to evaluate the efficacy of completed and planned projects, provide guidelines so that the projects are designed with maintenance in mind, and to be prepared with the proper staff and equipment to operate and maintain the growing number of green infrastructure projects in the City of Los Angeles (City). This paper summarizes the steps LASAN is taking to plan a well-thought-out green infrastructure maintenance program and to align personnel and resources needed to successfully execute and sustain the program.

This paper was presented at the WEFTEC 2024 conference in New Orleans, LA October 5-9.

SpeakerScaduto, Michael

Presentation time

16:00:00

16:15:00

Session time

15:30:00

17:00:00

SessionStormwater Infrastructure Operation and Maintenance: Management and Funding

Session number231

Session locationRoom 244

TopicIntermediate Level, Stormwater and Green Infrastructure

Author(s)

Scaduto, Michael, Roach, Virginia

Author(s)M. Scaduto1, V. Roach2

Author affiliation(s)1City of Los Angeles - Public Works, CA, 2CDM Smith

SourceProceedings of the Water Environment Federation

Document typeConference Paper

PublisherWater Environment Federation

Print publication date Oct 2024

DOI10.2175/193864718825159739

Volume / Issue

Content sourceWEFTEC

Word count6

Description: The Evolution of a Stormwater Control Project: Protecting Downtown New Haven Against...

The Evolution of a Stormwater Control Project: Protecting Downtown New Haven Against the Rising Flood

Abstract

New Haven, Connecticut experiences repeated flooding during short-duration, high-intensity rainfall. Over the last decade, the frequency of these storm events and resulting flooding has increased. The City’s Downtown Stormwater Control Project seeks to address existing flooding problems, as well as future climate change impacts. Building on the City’s previous studies, CDM Smith updated New Haven’s Storm Water Management Model (SWMM), investigated issues contributing to flooding, and identified cost-effective, innovative improvements that reduce flooding and contribute to urban revitalization. This paper describes how proposed stormwater control solutions evolved from a 2012 plan to upgrade existing drains with large-diameter gravity pipes under the New Haven Rail Yard to a 2020 plan for a less disruptive microtunneled storage pipe solution under the Rail Yard, connecting to a new shoreline pumping station. The project is funded through a Community Development Block Grant-Disaster Recovery grant made available after Hurricane Sandy in 2012.

SpeakerRoach, Virginia

Presentation time

09:30:00

09:50:00

Session time

08:30:00

09:50:00

SessionWhen the Rain Comes Down and the Seas Go Up: Urban and Coastal Flooding

Session number525

TopicResilience, Disaster Planning and Recovery, Stormwater, Green Infrastructure, and Wet Weather, Sustainability and Climate Change

Author(s)

V. RoachV. RoachD. HenningD. HenningG. ZinnM. heineman

Author(s)V. Roach1; V. Roach1; D. Henning2; D. Henning2; G. Zinn2; M. heineman1;

Author affiliation(s)CDM Smith, MA1; City of New Haven, CT2

SourceProceedings of the Water Environment Federation

Document typeConference Paper

PublisherWater Environment Federation

Print publication date Oct 2020

DOI10.2175/193864718825157518

Volume / Issue

Content sourceWEFTEC

Word count16

Base text size -

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