But porous pavement like that Logue refers to can be costly, and the funding climate can make or break any long-term solution, whether green infrastructure, added capacity, improved pipes or a combination of all three. Logue is optimistic that green infrastructure funding opportunities will become available for Springfield, but she says the city isn’t looking far enough ahead.
“They’re in crisis management, they’re just trying to fix the problem now,” Logue says. “And that’s where Springfield gets in trouble, when they think short-term and then they come up with these problems and they’re like, ‘Well, how did this happen?’ Well, if you’d had a long-term approach we wouldn’t be here.”
She says harvesting rain on an individual level – rain barrels and green roofs, for instance – would help keep water from overloading sewer pipes and contributing to environmental problems, but the city must provide incentives such as tax breaks or rebates to get enough residents and business owners to come on board.
“My own personal opinion is the community needs to be putting the pressure on for a longer-term solution. … That [green infrastructure] takes into account the water pollution issue and it’s also just a smarter way of handling the water,” Logue says. “We’re kind of stuck with it [the combined sewer system]. Harvesting the rain water residentially would be a way to stop it even before it gets into the combined sewer system.”
Lingering worries The city recently gave the pipes near Yu’s home the OK – there were no collapses, just debris. “The pipe is in good shape and functioning,” Wallner says.
While Yu is encouraged by the city’s rapid response, she says she worries another heavy rain will reveal more problems and once again cause damage. Her insurance company was good about helping her family recover flooding costs this summer, but what if it happens again? How will anyone in the neighborhood be able to sell a home now that flooding has reared its ugly head? And what about those who don’t have insurance? Or those who have lost more than physical property? Yu asks.
“When that young girl drowned, it puts everything in perspective,” Yu says, brushing aside her personal water woes. “It [flooding] is a problem that’s going to affect everyone.”
Contact Rachel Wells at [email protected].
