"Reduce Runoff—Slow It Down, Spread It Out, and Soak It In"

"Reduce Runoff—Slow It Down, Spread It Out, Soak It In," is the name of a new 9-minute video, produced by U.S. EPA's, Office of Wetlands, Oceans, and Watersheds (OWOW) . And we've borrowed the slogan for the RainScaping Campaign. We are very grateful for EPA's assistance, including their help with graphics for the campaign. See OWOW's new 9-minute video about reducing runoff online at: www.epa.gov/nps/lid.

This new 9-minute video, "Reduce Runoff—Slow It Down, Spread It Out, Soak It In," highlights green techniques such as rain gardens, green roofs, and rain barrels that help manage stormwater runoff in a more sustainable manner. The film, produced in partnership with the U.S. Botanic Gardens, showcases green techniques that are being used in urban areas to minimize the impacts of stormwater runoff on the quality of downstream receiving waters.

The goal is to mimic the natural way water moves through an area before development by using techniques that infiltrate, evaporate, and reuse runoff close to its source. The green techniques, including rain gardens, green roofs, rain barrels and cisterns, are very effective at reducing the volume of stormwater runoff and capturing harmful pollutants. These green practices increasingly are being used by communities across the country to help protect and restore water quality. Using vegetated areas that capture runoff also improves air quality, mitigates the effects of urban heat islands, and reduces a community's overall carbon footprint. The video includes green techniques on display in 2008 at the U.S. Botanic Garden's "One Planet–Ours!" Exhibit. It also highlights green techniques at U.S. EPA's Headquarters in Washington, D.C. including recently completed cisterns. Six 1,000-gallon cisterns installed in the basement at EPA's West Building now collect roof runoff from the building. This cistern water irrigates planting beds and grass in front of EPA's West Building along Constitution Avenue, thereby conserving water and reducing runoff to the Chesapeake Bay. The video is available online at: www.epa.gov/nps/lid. Also, see www.epa.gov/owow/nps/lid/stormwater_hq/.