Heads up

Bay states subject to the TMDL will rely on Low Impact Development (LID) in place of traditional best management practices to reduce sediment, nutrients and peak flows from new construction sites and from redevelopment in urban areas.
   To use LID techniques — which include permeable pavements, green roofs, rain gardens, swales and other devices that allow the storm water to seep into the ground — builders will need to obtain more information about the building site than has been required in the past. Many builders have limited experience with choosing and installing LID devices and estimating the associated costs — including the risk of their failure — and providing for their maintenance.

In an item from its news service this week, the NAHB alerts builders & developers in the six-state Chesapeake watershed of sweeping changes ahead, as federal agency EPA looks toward applying TMDL regulatory status to the natural system’s region as a whole.