Urban and Residential Stormwater

Discover best practices to protect your home, business, property, and septic system from flooding and water damage. Find Penn State Extension’s recommendations on stormwater management and flood control. Information on green stormwater infrastructure, green roofs, rainwater cisterns, and live staking is also available.

Stormwater and Property Damage

Stormwater is water that does not infiltrate into the ground but instead flows over roofs and storm drains and waterways. Stormwater can impact water quality as well as contribute to flooding pollutants, erosions, and property damage.

Local ordinances and regulations generally determine the best ways to handle stormwater. Together with municipalities, homeowners and businesses can help better manage stormwater in the community. The first step is understanding stormwater and where it flows on the property.

On residential properties, stormwater can cause structural damage, basement floods, and washed-out lawns. Homeowners can control stormwater by implementing strategies such as redirecting downspouts, planting trees, and installing rain gardens and permeable pavers.

Penn State Extension is specialized in providing educational resources on understanding municipal stormwater fees and reducing them through stormwater credits. Information can also be found on numerous topics, including protecting septic systems from flooding and estimating stormwater project costs.

Stormwater Management Resources

As demand grows, water supplies in many parts of the United States are under increasing pressure. In effect, communities with Municipal Separate Storm Sewer Systems (MS4s) are required to reduce the stormwater’s quantity and improve its quality.

Improving water quality can be done by either altering the sewer network or installing green infrastructures such as bioswales and tree plantings. Learn more about stormwater management systems and green infrastructures in the flood control section.

In the emerging field of Green Stormwater Infrastructure, Philadelphia Water is an established leader. The Philadelphia Water Department (PWD) has developed a management program known as Green City, Clean Waters. The program is aimed at managing stormwater runoff to reduce reliance on additional underground infrastructure construction, as well as protecting and enhancing the region’s waterways.

Various resources aimed at helping municipalities design and implement effective and affordable local stormwater management plans are available. Expert-led webinars can be found on topics such as planting stormwater control systems and reducing runoff by using green infrastructure.

Flood Control: Riparian Buffers, Rain Gardens, and Green Roofs

Green infrastructure components, as well as riparian buffers, are essential for promoting stormwater infiltration and flood mitigation.

Riparian buffers are vegetated areas along the banks of streams, rivers, lakes, and ponds. These buffers soak in precipitation and water running off the land and can be found in both urban and rural areas. Along with flood control, riparian buffers offer benefits, such as charging groundwater, reducing pollution, and providing wildlife habitat. Discover more with Penn State Extension’s video series on maintaining and growing riparian buffers.

Other best management practices to lessen the impact of stormwater include installing rain gardens and green roofs. The bowl shape of rain gardens allows them to easily capture water and soak it into the ground while reducing the amount of runoff from the property.

Vegetated roofs are another green infrastructure option that can be applied to most rooftops. Green roofs capture and retain rainwater, which later evaporates back to the atmosphere through the vegetation.

Additional information can be found in the stormwater systems construction and design section. Tips on planting control systems and handling wet basements are included, as well.