Following a successful project analyzing the potential demand for an off-site stormwater trading program in Cook County, The Nature Conservancy, Metropolitan Planning Council and the City of Chicago retained Teska and Hey & Associates to test a possible stormwater trading program for the City of Chicago.
The model analyzes 311 permits that were approved over a two-year period after the City of Chicago adopted a Green Scorecard that provides performance-based stormwater criteria for rate control and volume control. Phase 1 of the analysis analyzed the use of a variety of Best Management Practices (BMPs) that have been deployed by developers throughout the City of Chicago. The analysis also categorized the land use for each permit and developed typologies for developments that would see financial and stormwater benefits through off-site solutions. Preliminary findings point to utilizing this type of program to support infill development in neighborhoods, particularly those with lower land costs. The next phase of the project will include modeling out the program across each watershed in the City which covers both combined and separate sewer systems.
