ULI HQ and ULI Washington are collaborating with the District of Columbia’s Department of Energy & Environment(DOEE) to spread the word about the Stormwater Retention Credit (SRC) Trading and Stormwater Management Facility Self-Inspection and Self-Reporting (SISR) programs.

The programs incentivize construction and maintenance of new green infrastructure in locations that maximize water quality benefits to local waterways. SRCs can be accrued through “over compliance” with stormwater retention regulatory requirements or through the voluntary construction of stormwater management best management practices (BMPs). For example, developers of large real-estate development projects can generate credits through on-site installation of green infrastructure like bioretention basins, green roofs, and tree planting.

As part of the program, private entities can act as “credit aggregators” – helping landowners in high-impact areas voluntarily install green infrastructure that generates SRCs, and making those SRCs available on the market for other sites that need additional capacity.

Local stormwater credit aggregator, Green Compass, supports community partners in need – including St. Luke Catholic Church in Ward 7 and Elesavetgrad Cemetery in Ward 8 – to build SRC-generating green infrastructure. Green Compass then sells these credits through DOEE’s credit trading program. Profits from the sales go back into additional green infrastructure for new clients, increasing the programs’ positive impact on water quality in the District.

Additional Resources:

▶ Click here to view the previous case study, “Stormwater Management Programs that Yield Environmental – and Financial- Dividends”.

▶ Visit DOEE’s SRC and SISR websites for more information on how to sign up for the programs. And, stay tuned for insights and tips from more participants as new case studies are published throughout the summer.