Water Quality Investment Act Of 2009

Floor Speech

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Mr. POLIS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of the amendment and express my gratitude to the House for approving my amendment to improve the cleanliness of our waterways and strengthen our towns and city stormwater management.

Everyone knows when it rains, the excess rainwater that runs down our streets and sidewalks and into the drainage pipes that line our city streets eventually ends up in our streams and rivers.

The pollutants include toxins from our cars, such as unburned hydrocarbons, soot particles, copper from brake pads, zinc, cadmium, rubber from tires and other petroleum products. It also includes pesticides and herbicides from our yards.

My amendment addresses this problem by encouraging the use of bioswales and other sustainable stormwater management systems. A bioswale relies on vegetated natural systems alongside roads and parking lots to slow and filter the water before it ends in our drainage systems. Vegetation enhances both interception and evaporation of rainfall through its leaves.

Studies show that natural landscaping in a residential development or along streetways can reduce annual stormwater runoff volume by as much as 65 percent. It's no wonder that cities are starting to realize the benefits of bioswales and green infrastructure, including my City of Boulder, Colorado; Portland, Oregon; and Seattle, Washington, among the leaders in this area.

The increased interest is a response to mounting infrastructure costs of new development or redevelopment projects, but also more vigorous environmental regulations.

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