Green Solutions on Milwaukee's Fresh Coast: The MMSD Regional Green Infrastructure Plan

As part of the Milwaukee Metropolitan Sewerage District's (MMSD's) 2035 Vision of zero overflows and basement backups, a goal of capturing the first 0.5 inch of rainfall using green infrastructure (GI) was approved by the MMSD Commission in 2010 for the District's 411 square mile planning area.Implementing the 2035 Vision through the Regional Green Infrastructure Plan (Plan) will provide not only significant improvements in water quantity and quality to protect Milwaukee's fresh coast, but also social and economic benefits in the form of improved air quality, energy savings, and green jobs. The Plan documents how to capture the first 0.5 inch of rainfall on impervious surfaces, the equivalent of 740 million gallons of stormwater storage, at a cost of $1.3 billion.