Stamford Receives $1 Million For Construction Of 20 Bioswales

STAMFORD, CT — Stamford took an important step Tuesday towards implementing green infrastructure in the city by announcing that $1 million in congressionally directed spending will be used to construct 20 bioswales in various locations to help reduce flooding and stormwater runoff, and to improve water quality and neighborhood aesthetics.

Mayor Caroline Simmons was joined on Tuesday at Rippowam Park in downtown by Congressman Jim Himes (D-4th), and other local elected officials and department heads to announce the funding for the project

A bioswale is essentially a shallow trench that's constructed near catch basins with plantings and vegetation to help slowdown rainwater, absorb runoff and filter out pollutants.

"We know bioswales help reduce flooding and stormwater runoff by 30 percent. It's a great way to help keep our residents safe when there's storms," Simmons said. "It's a way to make our city more resilient to help mitigate the effects of climate change. It also helps remove contaminants from water to make our water cleaner, and it's a way to beautify our neighborhood."

Simmons said the bioswales fit in with her larger goal to make Stamford more resilient and sustainable, while also adding to the aesthetics of sidewalks with plantings and some greenery.

Himes, who helped secure the funding, said the implementation of the green infrastructure will help improve the lives of Stamford residents since they'll cleanup and beautify the city with more foliage. He called bioswales "win-wins."

Himes went on to say that the Long Island Sound will be a big beneficiary.

"This is really a contribution to the cleanliness of the Long Island Sound and all that that means for our area," he noted. "Environmentally, Stamford will be identified as a real leader for how to do urban spaces in a sustainable and responsible way."

Simmons hopes construction can take place as soon as possible, although it will take some time to identify proper areas.

"We saw what happened after Hurricane Ida with flooding across our city and so we want to get these up as soon as possible so that we can experience all the benefits," Simmons said.

The bioswales will be strategically placed, primarily in the downtown area near catch basins, according to Tyler Theder of the city of Stamford Stormwater Management Department.

"These things are very specifically located to be approximate to an existing drainage structure, and also in a place where we're not going to cause any problems; not near building foundations or other things where infiltrating water can be a negative," Theder said. "We want to use these things as water quality treatment, and we want to make sure we put them in spots where they're going to provide the most benefit."

Theder said it's important to place bioswales primarily in downtown areas.

"Science tells us that any time there's more than 11 or 12 percent impervious surfaces — like rooftops, buildings, sidewalks or roadways — that the downgrading water quality is negatively impacted by them."

The way bioswales work is by a curb-cut through the granite curb, which allows storm flow to enter into the constructed trench/garden area. About four to five feet below the surface, there's different sizes and grades of rock and aggregate material to help infiltrate the water, Theder said.

"What we're really trying to capture is that first flush; that first quarter inch of precipitation that occurs on paved areas after the rain begins, because that's what is going to wash the oils, any trash debris or residuals, off the paved areas and into the bioswales for pre-treatment. Then any leftover spillover is going to go into the catch basin and the drainage system," Theder said.

All of this water then goes somewhere, Theder explained, and in Stamford, that place is ultimately the Long Island Sound.

"It all goes there, and a lot of the time the only treatment that we have is really in the catch basin itself," Theder added. "This natural systems-based approach to green infrastructure is really important from a water quality perspective."

David Kooris, president of Stamford’s Downtown Special Services District, and also a member of the mayor's climate council, told Patch he's looking forward to seeing the environmental and aesthetic impact of the bioswales.

He plans on working with the city to find the best locations for them, and help keep them free of cash and debris once they're operable.

"It's not just about the utilities underground, but it's about what happens on the ground as well. You can't really locate it right where you have on-street parking and someone is going to be getting out of their car," Kooris said. "We can't locate it where it's going to interfere with outdoor dining. It's about trying to find that balance."

Kooris said he anticipates the bioswales, with their plantings and foliage, will add to the holiday and seasonal scenes in downtown.

"Just like we leverage the street trees with lighting and we leverage the planters for a seasonal approach, I do expect that yes, this would become part of that palate that we look to add onto to make it as great of an asset as we can for downtown and all of its visitors," he said.

Stare Rep. David Michel (D-146) who represents the downtown area, spoke briefly Tuesday and said the bioswales represent "a first example of green infrastructure in Stamford," something he's pushed for.

Michel joined Simmons in thanking Himes and others for helping to get the funding to make the project come to fruition.