This document discusses three green infrastructure projects implemented in an urbanized watershed in New Jersey to improve water quality. Eight green infrastructure devices were installed across the three sites, including porous pavement, planter boxes, rain gardens, and a bioretention basin. The projects relied on partnerships between organizations and addressed challenges of implementing green infrastructure in urban areas with limited space and outdated utility records. The goals were to not only improve water quality but also demonstrate the value of green infrastructure and educate the public on its importance and on stormwater issues more broadly.

1. DEMONSTRATING THE IMPORTANCE OF GREEN
INFRASTRUCTURE IN AN URBANIZED AREA
ALEXANDER W. PELOSI
Introduction Issues
A major source of eutrophication for Northern Barnegat Bay are the watersheds of Lower
Toms River and Long Swamp Creek. Moderate-to-high residential and commercial densities
has resulted in polluted stormwater, containing high concentrations of nitrogen, phosphorous,
pathogens and sediment. Due to these inputs, Northern Barnegat Bay, Lower Toms River and
Long Swamp Creek have been listed as 303D impaired waters by NJDEP.
The ALS and Princeton Hydro sought to implement measures that reduced the rate, volume
and pollutant load conveyed by runoff entering the estuary and its tributaries. Princeton Hydro
worked with ALS to identify and prioritize sites throughout the watershed. Three sites were
identified and the projects were funded through NJDEP’s 319(h) implementation grant
program and two of the three have since gone to construction with the third to begin later this
year.
Green Infrastructure
As 319(h) Grant projects, the goal of all three sites was to improve water quality. Over the three
projects a total of 8 separate Green Infrastructure devices were installed, which included
two Vortech manufactured
treatment devices, porous
pavement, planter boxes,
two rain gardens, a
Contech Filterra tree box,
and the conversion of an
existing detention basin into
a bioretention basin
(construction this fall).
Partnerships and Stakeholders
These projects relied on partnerships and assistance from the American Littoral Society, Ocean
County, the Ocean County Soil Conservation District, and the Jasques Cousteau National Estuarine
Research Reserve, as well as the Toms River Regional School District. Both projects exemplify the
value of leveraging public/private partnerships to create demonstration projects, and the effective
management of stormwater through creative retrofit projects.
Discussion
How to make green infrastructure more viable in urbanized areas. How to educate
people more on the importance of such devices and overall how to educate people on
the importance of stormwater as
a whole as it can play into a much
larger ecological systems than what
people see on the surface.
Education
Urbanized areas contain the highest amounts of impervious area and pollutant
loading. These are the locations that would benefit the most from Green
Infrastructure, but are also the most difficult do to lack of space and poor record
keeping. Green Infrastructure has been adapted over time to fit into areas so that
they do not take away from parking, landscapes, or other locations they frequently
inhabit; making the largest challenge locating the existing utilities and wiring in
the ground.
Modern record keeping for design has gotten better but is still far from perfect, and
not even the New Jersey One call is able to accurately identify every single utility
that maybe on the premises. When implementing Green Infrastructure projects it
is imperative to understand the disconnect that can occur between design and
implementation and that the site you design for may not necessarily be the same
site that is dug up.
Design must also be flexible to handle these and other issues that are bound to show
up. In the original design for the planter boxes, the boxes were 13’ x 30’, but
ultimately needed to be cut down to 19’ in length and pushed back off the
pavement by a 1 foot gap to avoid high voltage electric lines that were unearthed
during the excavation. This issue caused similar design alterations throughout
these projects, which is why they can serve as an important example of how to
adapt the design in the field without losing the functionality of the
The location of these projects were chosen in a way that would maximize public outreach by
showcasing all the BMP’s in public areas. Stormwater education is extremely important as it
can be easily overlooked as an issue that currently puts strain on our streams, lakes, rivers,
and infrastructure. In line with the old ways of seeing stormwater, people typically just want
to the water conveyed downstream as quickly as possible. This “Out of sight, out of mind”
mentality can have dire economic and ecological impacts from stream erosion to pipe
failures.
These projects double as demonstration projects to showcase various upstream options to these
current problems. The rain gardens were planted with the help of volunteers and every
device installed was given an educational sign. These tools can be invaluable in bringing
light to a problem that most people do not see as a problem. These devices can serve as
constant reminders that stormwater is an issue.