The original item was published from February 20, 2019 8:06 AM to June 29, 2023 11:48 AM
The City of Norfolk joined forces with 100 Resilient Cities and its platform partners StreetPlans, IOBY, and Amec Foster Wheeler, along with local community groups to show residents how they can be part of the solution and active participants in a citywide, systemic approach to water management.
In the hands-on “how-to” workshop called “Retain Your Rain: Boxes, Barrels & Brew” residents learned how they can get started on small-scale flood mitigation projects such as rain barrels, bioswales, blue/green roof, planters, cistern and more on their parcel to help address rainwater flooding in neighborhood. By holding rain water where it falls, the workshop demonstrated that residents can make a significant difference by reducing the amount of water entering the storm water system, which in turns helps reduce flooding.
The next step for the city is to continue to work with community organizations and neighborhood leaders to develop a “train the trainer” program to scale this concept in pilot neighborhoods and city-wide in an effort to encourage all residents and businesses to become water managers and experts. Through these efforts, everyone in Norfolk can be part of the solution.
Read more about the Retain Your Rain Workshop