PERVIOUS CONCRETE: A SOLID SOLUTION FOR STORMWATER MANAGEMENT

To comply with increasingly rigorous regulations from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), municipalities across Southeastern Wisconsin are adopting stronger stormwater management guidelines. A cost-effective way for area builders and homeowners to help municipalities meet stormwater management responsibilities is to use pervious concrete for residential pavement applications, including driveways, patios, sidewalks, paths, pool decks, tennis/other backyard sport courts, and off-street parking areas.

A performance-engineered structural material, pervious concrete allows stormwater and snowmelt to immediately drain down through the pavement to the subgrade, eliminating harmful first-flush runoff while providing filtration and ground water recharge. Depending on local regulations and site-specific characteristics, pervious concrete stormwater systems can be designed to function as stormwater storage basins, able to accommodate precipitation in design storm events while eliminating the need for retention ponds, swales, and other precipitation runoff containment strategies. 

The EPA recognizes pervious concrete as a recommended best management stormwater practice for first-flush pollution mitigation. 

Pervious concrete is not a new technology.  Its first known use was more than 150 years ago.  Concrete is a documented environmentally-responsible building material, and traditional concrete pavements provide many benefits for homeowners, including durability, long service life, ease-of-maintenance, and aesthetic appeal.  But when stormwater management issues challenge site use, pervious concrete pavements provide sustainable solutions for residential construction. 

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