By Bill Knight
During a season celebrating with red and green decorations, it’s appropriate to consider an idea that suggests an environmentally friendly “green” approach to a common local problem that can put communities in the “red.”
Changing weather patterns in Illinois are leading to increased precipitation that means more flooded streets, water in basements, and stormwater-runoff woes for cities, reported Emily Steele with University of Illinois Extension. But one increasingly popular solution to this nuisance – green infrastructure – can work and also address other social challenges according to an Extension study.
“We are getting more rain in Illinois, which means communities are facing increasing stormwater management challenges,” says Lisa Merrifield, U of I Extension Community and Economic Development specialist and lead author on a white paper published by the North Central Regional Water Network.