Green Infrastructure Solutions TO BUFFALO’S SEWER OVERFLOW CHALLENGE Draft Feasibility Study March 31, 2011 SUBMITTED TO The Residents of WNY and The Buffalo Sewer Authority New York State Department of Environmental Conservation United States Environmental Protection Agency BY BUFFALO NIAGARA RIVERKEEPER WITH FUNDING PROVIDED BY The Community Foundation of Greater Buffalo and the John R. Oishei Foundation Green Infrastructure Solutions pg/ 1 This report was made possible through funding provided by the John R. Oishei Foundation and the Community Foundation of Greater Buffalo. Special gratitude is owed to our Technical Advisory Committee who helped shape all of the recommendations in this report, refined our methodology, and provided invaluable assistance in data collection and approach. This report would not have been possible without the many hours they donated to the project. Bruce L. Fisher, Director, Center for Economic and Policy Studies, Buffalo State College Robert Galucci, P.E. Dharma Iyer, P.E. Joy Kuebler, R.L.A., A.S.L.A. Dave Majewski, Premium Landscape Sean Myers, NBT Salutions Lynda Schneekloth, A.S.L.A., Professor of Landscape Architecture, University of Buffalo 1250 Niagara Street, Buffalo, NY 14213 . TEL 716.852.7483 . FAX 716.885.0765 . Email
[email protected] Buffalo Niagara RIVERKEEPER Green Infrastructure Solutions pg/2 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Proposed Green Roofs in Buffalo, NY Source: Buffalo Niagara RIVERKEEPER uffalo is blessed with an abundance of one of the Onondaga County and Kansas City have chosen to utilize world’s most important natural resources: fresh water. “green infrastructure” to solve a significant portion of their BOur location on the Great Lakes places us in the midst combined sewer overflow problems.