City Hands Out Green Infrastructure Grants 10.21.10

Inside Indiana Business

Indianapolis Mayor Greg Ballard presented the 2010 Green Infrastructure Grant Awards this morning. A total of $116,000 in funding was granted to six organizations that utilize green infrastructure projects designed to improve water quality and reduce stormwater runoff.

Mayor Greg Ballard today presented the 2010 Green Infrastructure Grant Awards to six recipients, announced through a partnership between the City of Indianapolis Office of Sustainability, United Water, and the Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC). This year, $116,000 in funding was granted to organizations that utilize green infrastructure projects designed to improve water quality and reduce stormwater runoff. Mayor Ballard welcomed previous Green Infrastructure awardees and guests attending the presentation.

“Green infrastructure and healthy water quality are important aspects of creating a sustainable city,” said Mayor Greg Ballard. “I commend United Water and LISC for their valuable partnership with the City and their support of a more sustainable Indianapolis by providing funding for the Green Infrastructure Grant Program.”

United Water committed $400,000 to the program over a four-year period beginning in 2008. LISC committed $20,000. The maximum grant amount awarded is $20,000, and a match is required for the grant.

The primary goals of green infrastructure are to capture and store stormwater as close to where it falls so that it can be cleaned, infiltrated into the soil, and slowly released into rivers and streams. There are many types of green infrastructure; some popular examples include green roofs, porous pavement, and rain gardens.

The following are the 2010 Green Infrastructure Grant recipients:

 Efficient Systems: $16,000 for the Rainwater Harvest Collection Project. The purpose of this grant is to install a 2,500 gallon underground cistern for the purpose of flushing toilets, supplying hose bibs on the exterior and future irrigation.

IndyTilth: $20,000 for the Double 8 Foods Rain Garden Project. The purpose of this grant is to install rain gardens and an above-ground cistern that will manage 100 percent of the parcel’s stormwater on-site, reduce storm drain silting, and help to mitigate combined sewer overflow (CSO) events.

Southeast Neighborhood Development (SEND): $20,000 for the East Street Flats Project. The purpose of this grant is to install green infrastructure for stormwater management as a part of the overall Flats development and to reduce the amount of impervious surface associated with the Flats. This will limit the amount of impervious surface, which will reduce stormwater run-off into the City’s Combined Sewer Overflow system.

Marian University: $20,000 for the Rain Garden Project. The purpose of this grant is to provide the new Marian University College of Osteopathic Medicine with a rain garden to provide better absorption of rainwater from the center. This will be home to Indiana’s second medical school, a LEED gold facility.

City Market: $20,000 for the Stormwater Reclamation Project. The purpose of this grant is to repair downspouts around the facility and remove downspout oxidation from the stone on the building. This project will become the first step in creating a system of rainwater storage and distribution for the new public toilet facilities and restoration of the fountain.

 John H. Boner Community Center: $20,000 for the Near Eastside Legacy Center’s Green Roof Project. The purpose of this grant is to provide the area with an accessible and educational example of how the neighborhood can benefit from sustainable architecture (living green roof) and greenscaping.

To learn more about Mayor Ballard’s vision of making Indianapolis one of the most sustainable cities in the Midwest, visit www.sustainindy.org.

About United Water

United Water (UW) is a leading provider of water and wastewater services in North America. More information on these UW companies can be obtained through the company’s web site at www.unitedwater.com.
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