Stormwater Management in Hamilton

For more than two decades Green Venture has worked on a variety of water conservation projects such Depave Paradise, RAIN home visits, and Hamilton’s downspout disconnection program. The EcoHouse also demonstrates many green infrastructure features including established rain gardens, two types of living roof systems, a gravity-fed rain barrel irrigation system, a grey water system, a permeable Turf-Slab driveway, ecolawn demonstration, xeriscape garden, an Ecoraster permeable pathway, a variety of low-flow toilet options.

Green Venture’s primary focus at this time is on larger, community-based projects, and education about stormwater management, including encouraging the development of Low Impact Development (LID) projects. We are excited to announce the launch of Catch the RAIN, Dundas in 2019!

 

What is stormwater runoff?

Stormwater runoff is generated when rain, snowmelt or outdoor tap water makes its way across hard surfaces such as roofs, driveways, roads and parking lots. Stormwater runoff impacts water quality by transporting pollutants from hard surfaces like roads, roofs and parking lots into nearby streams, rivers and the Hamilton Harbour. With our changing climate we are seeing more frequent and heavier storm events.

The Problem: Rain in urban settings 

In urban settings, where natural areas have been covered by hard surfaces, stormwater runoff is drained using storm sewers. These hard surfaces do not allow water to soak into the ground as it does in natural areas. This can contribute to: Flash floods, Sewer overflow, Wet basements, Stream erosion, Polluted surface waters, and Groundwater depletion.

The Solution: Green Infrastructure at Home 

Be part of the stormwater solution! Soaking up stormwater on your property can help to reduce the volume of water and pollutants that flow into our streams and rivers via storm sewers and can help to protect your home from water related problems. The collective action of homeowners implementing green stormwater infrastructure techniques can capture and filter rainwater where it falls, beautifying our neighbourhoods, and protecting the overall health of our watershed.

Disconnect your downspout

Install a rain barrel

Conserve water

 

Plant trees

Use permeable pavement

Build a rain garden

 

Pick up pet waste

Use alternatives to salt

Put cigarette butts in the garbage

Be apart of the Stormwater Solution at home!

Our Water Programs & Services

Catch the RAIN, Dundas

Building on the momentum of Depave Paradise and RAIN Community Solutions Home Visits, we are excited to announce a new project that will be taking place in Dundas in 2019-2020. This project, called Catch the Rain, will provide Dundas homeowners with free consultations and landscape design sketches that integrate rainwater capturing and native species into their landscape. By implementing “green stormwater infrastructure techniques” such as native plant rain gardens, rain barrels and permeable pavers we can capture and filter rainwater, helping to reduce polluted runoff from entering Spencer’s Creek. The goal of the project is to contribute to the overall health of our watershed. Through these consultations, we will work with micro neighbourhoods within Dundas to install a series of green stormwater infrastructure projects such as rain gardens, permeable pavers, or bioswales constructed by our team and the collective action of community members. We hope to spur a trend and encourage more property owners to build these features into their landscapes, in an effort to protect our local water quality. Collectively, by initiating small changes to how we manage our water at home, we can make big improvements to the overall health of our watershed.This project is funded by the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation Sustain Our Great Lakes program.

Visit our Catch the RAIN page for more information.

Depave at Home (now closed)

In 2018 Green Venture expanded our community based Depave Paradise program to homeowners by creating three permeable driveway demonstrations in Hamilton with help from the City Enrichment Fund. In this program, called Depave at Home, three homeowners were selected to turn their broken and chipped asphalt or concrete driveways into water absorbing, permeable driveways to promote green infrastructure and help our water clean.

By replacing asphalt and concrete with a low impact development technique, permeable pavement, we can have a huge impact on reducing stormwater runoff and keeping the water that falls on our property, on our property. These homeowner demonstration projects are invaluable for engaging neighbourhoods in making change through a ripple effect while empowering homeowners through this hands on educational opportunity to address the impacts of urbanization and climate change. These demonstration driveways have helped expose homeowners to beneficial stormwater landscaping projects and spread awareness of the available green infrastructure to others in these neighbourhoods.

Raingers (now closed)

From 2016 to 2018, Green Venture and the Bay Area Restoration Council partnered to engage students and schools in the Hamilton Harbour Watershed through a hands-on, experiential stormwater management education program. The program was free of charge and involved the building of one rain garden at each participating school as a practical and positive solution to stormwater!

Protecting Water at Home

As a property owner you want to protect your most valuable asset from water-related damage by minimizing flooding and reducing stormwater runoff. The best time to defend your home against water damage is before issues are visible by taking a proactive approach. Simple alterations to the exterior of your property have the potential to solve many water-related issues such as:

  • Installing permeable pavers instead of concrete or asphalt
  • Using a rain barrel to capture rainwater from rooftops
  • Disconnect your downspout
  • Creating a rain garden
  • Planting urban trees

Resources