Overview of the Green Infrastructure Section of PWSAs Feasibility Study Presentation Charrette No. 3: April 19, 2013 Presenter: Ross Gordon, PE, CFM, LEED AP 1

Recap – WW Feasibility Study PWSA and City of Pittsburgh Consent Order and Agreement (COA) Entered January 29, 2004 Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) Allegheny County Health Department (ACHD) Requirement per COA Section 15. Paragraph d. Submit Feasibility Study (FS) within 6 months after ALCOSAN submits a Wet Weather Plan (WWP) 2

Recap – Timeline Initial Draft FS completed Refine the FS to achieve consistency with regional planning efforts Complete remaining planning tasks and integrate prior planning activities into a final FS 2002 PWSA Long Term Control Plan (LTCP) started under NPDES requirements 2004 PWSA/City Sign COA 2008 PWSA LTCP converted to a Feasibility Study (FS) 2008 PWSA Preliminary Draft FS completed 2009 PWSA modeling and cost estimating methods aligned with regional methods 2010 PWSA FS recommendations updated and preliminary flow estimates provided to ALCOSAN per COA 2012 PWSA Draft FS submitted to ALCOSAN July 2012 ALCOSAN releases its Draft WWP January 2013 ALCOSAN Submits Draft WWP to Regulators July 2013 PWSA/City to submit Final FS to regulators per COA 2007 ALCOSAN signs CD and begins regional planning 3

Schedule - Feasibility Study Update 2013 February 2013 March 2013 April 2013 May 2013 June 2013 July Feasibility Study Update Completion Schedule DRAFT FINALINITIATE #1#2#3 Charrette 4

PWSA Feasibility Study Establish baseline gray infrastructure approach to meeting compliance requirements Includes Projects / Timeline / Costs / Affordability Culmination of 10-year planning process Introduce green infrastructure (GI) alternative and Integrated Watershed Planning (IWP) framework Lay out process to green PWSAs wet weather plan 5

Green Infrastructure Section Establish intentions for incorporating GI into the feasibility study Lay out initial actions to assess feasibility of greening the baseline gray infrastructure approach Lay out initial actions to accelerate/facilitate implementation of GI 6

Green Infrastructure Section Lay out initial actions to demonstrate and monitor performance of GI approaches Establish decision points to update the feasibility study and modify the COA to include GI and adaptive management 7

Feasibility Study Challenges PWSA is required to provide a path to compliance (baseline approach) PWSA is required to meet the schedule in the COA Regulators looking for certainty – evidence of proposed compliance approachs ability to meet requirements of COA 8

Green Infrastructure Challenges GI path to compliance has not been determined yet Ability to implement GI approach at the scale required has not been demonstrated Ability for GI approach to meet water quality standards has not been demonstrated 9

Summary of Challenges Feasibility Study is a balance of multiple concerns: Timing Efficacy/Benefit Cost Regulators require clear plan to meet CSO reduction obligations Aim to provide a structure which allows for adaptation and optimization of the plan 10

Preliminary Green Infra. Section Outline 1)Introduction to Green Infrastructure 2)Public Participation 3)Overview of Challenges and Obstacles 4)Adaptive Management Approach 5)Short Term Action / Implementation Plan 6)Decision Points 7)Long Term Action / Implementation Plan 11

1) Intro. to Green Infrastructure Introduction to green infrastructure (GI) Review of GI for CSO control Review of Triple Bottom Line benefits of GI Quantification of existing GI efforts Discussion of Integrated Watershed Planning framework Establishment of goals and objectives for GI 12

2) Public Participation Introduction to GI charrette process Charrette # 1 findings Charrette # 2 findings Charrette # 3 findings Green Infrastructure in Pittsburgh will be a success if... 13

3) Challenges and Obstacles Provides impetus for implementation activities Based on feedback provided in Charrettes Authority to implement Education and outreach Collaboration Regulatory / zoning Financial Maintenance Monitoring 14

4) Adaptive Management Approach Provide overview of proposed adaptive management framework Discuss benefits of continual optimization of compliance activities Review gray / green interface and how it can be optimized Discuss process of staying on schedule while exploring GI opportunities 15

5) Short Term Action/Implementation Plan Accelerate/facilitate implementation of GI Demonstrate and monitor performance of GI Inform decision making process Develop inter-agency GI task force Continue public education and outreach Streamline bureaucracy / permitting Establish regional partnerships Plan/construct/assess early implementation projects Conduct system-wide GI alternatives assessment Address major zoning / regulatory impediments Develop GI design and maintenance manuals Develop GI monitoring and tracking plan Finalize assessment of stormwater utility Develop Implementation and Adaptive Management Plan 16

6) Decision Points Establish schedule of decision points Establish criteria to be met at each decision point and consequences of not meeting criteria Establish process for modifying Consent Order and Agreement 17

7) Long Term Action/Implementation Plan Provide vision for long-term GI / hybrid approach to CSO control Provide vision for Integrated Watershed Planning approach Establish framework of long-term adaptive management process Establish long-term process for assessing progress towards compliance 18

GI Section Summary Roadmap to incorporate GI into the feasibility study Set of short term obligations to accelerate/facilitate implementation of GI Establishment of decision points and process to amend Consent Order and Agreement to incorporate GI 19

Overview of Adaptive Management Approach to Green Infrastructure Presentation Charrette No. 3: April 19, 2013 Presenter: Ross Gordon, PE, CFM, LEED AP 20

Key Considerations Adaptive approach bases future actions on the success of previous actions, allowing for continual improvement Focuses on monitoring and regular re-assessment in order to achieve goals in the most cost-effective and beneficial manner Supports and aligns with USEPA Integrated Watershed Planning framework 21

Preliminary Approach - Adaptive Management for PWSA Desire to optimize the proposed solution Gray vs. green mix Types/applications of green infrastructure (GI) Short term goal: secure approval to modify the compliance approach to use GI solutions in conjunction with gray solutions Long term goal: establish a process which provides flexibility to meet water quality goals through the most cost-effective and beneficial means. 22

Short Term Decision Points #1 - Regional/regulatory support to move forward with GI initiatives #2 - Technical justification from feasibility, performance, and cost standpoints #3 - Performance warrants incorporation of GI into plan Issue update to regulators for modification of Consent Order and Agreement 23

Draft - Short Term Process YEAR 1 YEAR 2-4 YEAR 4-5 Decision Point #1: Regional/regulatory support to move forward with GI initiatives Submit Feasibility Study Coordinate w/ regulators Develop inter-agency GI task force Continued public outreach Coordinate w/ regional partners Plan early demonst. projects Initiate changes to promote and facilitate GI Decision Point #2: Technical justification from feasibility, performance, and cost standpoint Implement early demonstration projects Conduct system-wide GI alternatives assessment Initiate further changes to promote and facilitate GI Develop GI design and maintenance manuals Develop monitoring and tracking plan Decision Point #3: Performance warrants incorporation of green Monitoring and assessment Initiate further changes to promote and facilitate GI Development of Adaptive Management Plan Revert to Gray Infrastructure Preferred Outcome: Modify Consent Order and Agreement to include green infrastructure Submit revised plan to Regulators 24

Long Term Considerations Desire flexibility to choose between green and gray solutions based on measured past performance Desire flexibility to achieve stormwater improvements through various means i.e. - private vs. public improvements Desire flexibility to focus on integrated watershed planning instead of a narrow focus on CSOs 25

Conclusions PWSA to initiate progress on time-sensitive gray solutions while evaluating feasibility of green approaches Establish initial actions and series of decision points for moving forward with the greening of the wet weather plan Establish a more flexible framework which will allow for adaptation and optimization of the plan as it is implemented 26