Green Infrastructure and
Stormwater Management

Benefits and Costs of Stormwater Management Solutions

One Water Econ’s team members are known for developing approaches for assessing the triple bottom line benefits and costs of green stormwater infrastructure. As early as 2010, Ms. Clements, President of One Water Econ, served as a lead analyst in a groundbreaking study for Philadelphia Water to assess the multiple benefits of GSI, including those related to public health, air quality, carbon reduction, green jobs, recreation, and more. We have applied these approaches in different contexts for multiple clients, including DC Water, City of Toronto, The Water Research Foundation, and the Natural Resources Defense Council. We are currently working with The Nature Conservancy and the GSI Leadership Exchange to further explore how information on GSI co-benefits can inform project development and support innovative funding and financing solutions.

Framework and Tool for Quantifying and Monetizing the Triple Bottom Line Benefits of Green Stormwater Infrastructure

For the Water Research Foundation (WRF), our team members led the development of the GSI Triple Bottom Line (TBL) Benefit Cost Framework and Tool. The GSI TBL Tool provides a systematic approach to help stormwater practitioners quantify and monetize the full suite of GSI co-benefits applicable to their community and appropriately comparing them to costs. The Tool incorporates market and nonmarket economic valuation methods that allow users to understand and value a wide range of GSI benefits, including several harder to quantify benefits that have not been incorporated into existing tools or studies. It is intended for use by utility and municipal staff, or other interested stormwater practitioners.

The Tool is publicly available on the Water Research Foundation’s website.

Stormwater Funding, Financing, and Policy

Our team has worked on stormwater funding, incentives, and policy issues for clients across the country. Examples include:

  • Designing the Water Environment Federation (WEF) Stormwater Institute’s National Municipal Separate Storm Sewer System (MS4) Needs Assessment Survey

  • Working with American Rivers and WaterNow Alliance to develop and host a Stormwater Funding and Financing Academy for nine municipal and utility representatives across the county

  • Working with multiple utilities and municipalities across the country to examine the potential for green stormwater infrastructure incentive programs and market-based solutions, including Houston (TX), Los Angeles (CA), Northeast Ohio Regional Sewer District (OH), Grand Rapids (MI), Eugene (OR), and Sheboygan and Green Bay (WI).

  • Ms. Clements served as Principal Investigator for the Water Research Foundation project: Incentives for Green Infrastructure Implementation on Private Property: Lessons Learned.

  • In 2019, Ms. Clements served as an expert consultant to EPA’s Environmental Financial Advisory Board to make recommendations to Congress regarding stormwater funding and financing.