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

These programs work in tandem to encourage and incentivize investment in the implementation and long-term maintenance of green infrastructure projects that reduce stormwater runoff, protecting local and regional watersheds. Sites that go beyond requirements can generate SRCs, which can then be sold to other sites that need to increase capacity. The SISR program enables self-reporting of stormwater management, which can lessen the uncertainty of site inspections while ensuring compliance through DOEE audits of rigorously maintained records.

From the Source: The Catholic University of America Embraces Sustainable Solutions With Economic Value

Across its 176-acre urban campus, Catholic University has installed green roofs, tree plantings, rain gardens that absorb and filter stormwater, and bioretention basins and cisterns that naturally retain and treat stormwater instead of letting it run off campus. These all add up when it comes to creating Stormwater Retention Credits.

Greg Osband, the university’s landscape architect, likens SRCs to having a bank account that can produce environmental as well as financial gains. This makes it easier for those uncertain about the cost or unfamiliar with the benefits of green infrastructure projects to see their multiple values.

“I can explain to others at the university that if we build it, it’s not just doing something good for the environment, but we can actually recoup some of our investment and generate returns,” Osband says.

Additional Resources:

▶ 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.

▶ View The Catholic University of America’s Sustainability Plan