Sanitation District 1

he Sanitation District 1 (SD1), Northern Kentucky's municipal agency responsible for sewer and stormwater management, has turned their administrative headquarters in Fort Wright into an extraordinary demonstration project.  The project, referred to as the Stormwater BMP Park, is an educational resource for local students and teachers as well as being a research tool for the performance monitoring of six different BMPs including a green roof, porous concrete, rain gardens, a retention pond, constructed wetland, vegetated swales, permable pavement and a giant cistern. 

Stormwater BMP Park

This green roof designed by Roofscapes covers 5,200 square feet.  During an average rainfall it is easy to evaluate the performance of the green roof compared to the adjacent traditional roof.  The downspout connected to the traditional roof gushes stormwater while the green roof drops little to no stormwater.

The porous concrete pictured above is juxtaposed by the black traditional asphalt paving the opposite side of the parking lot.  It is easy to see how this light reflective surface of the porous concrete is not as absorptive of heat as the black top, thus mitigating the phenomenon known as the "heat island" effect.  SD1 plans to compare the performance of the two in terms of quantity and quality of urban runoff.

The marsh surrounding this wetland is an important breeding ground for birds and small animals.  In the winter, wetlands provide an important layover for migratory birds.  The reconstruction of our nation's wetlands is an important undertaking both for the health and balance of our ecosystems and for the habitat it provides many species.

Lily pads cover the pond located in the wetland area.  The ecosystem of a wetland is nature's most powerful cleaning agent, filtering out pollutants and maintaining a balance among species within the ecosystem.

Permable pavement is another alternative to porous concrete.  Designed as a walkway through the wetland area, this rosetta shade tile is an attrative addition to the aesthetic quality of the environment and provides an important stormwater management function as well.

This giant cistern collects rain water which is displayed as a modern looking fountain.  SD1 uses the recycled water to irrigate the vast amount of vegetation located on site, preventing rainwater from entering the system and reducing water consumption.