Green stormwater infrastructure suitability for CSO communities in Montpelier, Vermont

Combined Sewer Overflows (CSOs) still functional in 11 communities in Vermont, discharged over 1,000,000 gallons of untreated to partially treated sewage into various lakes, streams, and rivers in Vermont within a 15-day time frame in early April 2104. Storm and sewer pipeline separation projects are underway in a number of areas, but cities such as Montpelier, Vermont are looking to Green Stormwater Infrastructure (GSI) approaches to manage stormwater resources. To determine the suitability of these solutions in Montpelier, a study is currently underway that will incorporate land use suitability models with GIS. As a first step however, active CSO areas in the city were identified, along with relevant sewer infrastructure in these areas. Coordinating with city and state officials, nine potential GSI solutions were researched. Physical models of these solutions were built for use in community outreach and education. This paper accounts these initial steps in this yearlong project.