Heavy downpours lead to flooding, and the stormwater runoff causes pollutants to infiltrate our waterways. Rain falling on hard surfaces – concrete, asphalt, or compacted gravel – all collect stormwater, causing it to pool or runoff.
Permeable pavement is a porous urban surface that catches precipitation and surface runoff, storing it in the reservoir while slowly allowing it to infiltrate into the soil below. These paving surfaces typically include pervious concrete, porous asphalt, paving stones, and interlocking pavers.
As we experience more frequent heavy downpours perhaps we can rethink the type of paving systems we use.
Evaluating the potential benefits of permeable pavement
