Portland, Maine, began making significant investments in green infrastructure (GI) in the early 2000s and has since installed nearly 150 GI features throughout the city. In a decade plus of installing and maintaining these systems, Portland has learned important lessons about which systems work and how best to maintain them. Portland’s experience offers insights applicable to many other communities as they build and invest in their stormwater infrastructure programs. Portland was proactive in developing GI installations and linkage to clear maintenance procedures. In 2014, the city hired contractors that specialize in maintenance of stormwater control measures to inventory assets, develop operations and maintenance protocols, and to inspect a subset of systems. Today most GI maintenance is subcontracted to skilled contractors and inspection and maintenance cycles continue to increase to accommodate trash, sedimentation, winter damage and other impacts. Portland’s experience shows that maintaining GI is different. It requires skills and knowledge that current staff may not have—staff who manage buried pipes may not be good gardeners. GI maintenance also requires significant effort. Understanding the level of effort, the necessary frequency of maintenance visits, and the different kinds of maintenance each feature requires is critical. This presentation tells the story of the development of Portland’s GI program, the evolution of its maintenance practices, and how past experience is shaping future approaches. Through specific examples, it encourages attendees to think about the unexpected issues they may encounter as they develop their own GI projects, particularly in colder climates. And it offers specific guidance based on lessons learned from more than a decade of hands-on management of an extensive GI program.

Resource Type

Video

Audience Type

Member

Categories

Stormwater,Water Resources

Proficiency Level

Applied

Program Types

PWX

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