World Water Week is an annual conference that attracts a diverse mix of participants from across the globe who share a vested interest in identifying solutions to the world’s greatest water-related challenges. Since its inception in 1991 by the Stockholm International Water Institute (SIWI), the overarching goal of World Water Week has focused on improved water management and governance, so that individuals within their communities can better understand the value of water, manage and share water more equitably, and reduce waste and pollution to benefit their local environments and help effect global change.
GAI’s multidisciplinary team is deeply committed to helping clients find efficient and sustainable water-related solutions—in acknowledgement of World Water Week, we highlight standout projects developed by GAI’s stormwater-management professionals—including engineers, landscape architects, environmental, and survey staff, among others. Whenever possible, these solutions incorporate green infrastructure practices that utilize nature-based solutions to resolve development and climactic challenges.
Florida
For the 2022 ASLA Florida Chapter award-winning Winter Haven One Water Plan, GAI’s landscape architects collaborated with engineers, scientists, analysts, and policy officials to shape a 50-year vision for resource efficiency in land patterns, the built environment, and a planned Sapphire Necklace conservation system in the City of Winter Haven (the ‘Chain of Lakes City’). Winter Haven is located at the headwaters of the Peace Creek Watershed (above the Floridan Aquifer), which extends nearly 100 miles to the Gulf of Mexico and is one of the fastest growing regions in the U.S. The goal of the One Water plan is to redefine the relationship between ‘grey infrastructure’ and ‘green infrastructure,’ while preparing for a sustainable, ‘water-centric’ community.
The Packing District is a new $480 million, 200-acre, mixed-used planned development in the City of Orlando, Florida that will include townhouses, apartments, a grocery store, shops, and a multi-use park. GAI is providing master planning, design, permitting, and construction-phase services for a new regional park and master stormwater system, multi-use trails, utility infrastructure improvements, and new and improved roadways—including the design of a roundabout to improve traffic movements and serve as a gateway to the Packing District. The project includes design and permitting of 2,000 LF of new roadway with trail, and streetscape improvements to 4,500 LF of existing roadway in Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) right-of-way. Low Impact Design (LID) techniques, including rain gardens and stormwater planters, were employed to create stormwater management solutions. GAI’s scope of services included design, permitting, and construction support for a 1.2-MGD master sanitary sewer lift station to serve the development. GAI prepared an Infrastructure Master Plan document to address the project’s utility needs for both the short- and long-term.
Resulting from the Downtown Master Plan developed by GAI and its Community Solutions Group (CSG) for the City of Ocoee, Florida, GAI designed a master stormwater plan including a pond that provides water treatment while also serving as a passive park and recreation destination for the area. GAI’s stormwater design also incorporates low-impact design features such as planters and native trees. As there were no existing stormwater facilities in Ocoee’s historic downtown, implementing an effective system was identified as being critical to improving the water quality of the adjacent Starke Lake and nearby creeks as well as contributing to the revitalization of downtown.
Lake Beauty Park is a City of Orlando urban park space that serves as an iconic element of the southern edge of Orlando Health’s downtown campus. GAI’s CSG created a design that incorporates street-side stormwater bio-retention planters and littoral planting and adds a layer of environmental responsibility that was absent under the previous condition (approximately 1.5 acres of street area that flowed virtually unchecked into the lake).
Victory Pointe Park, an ASLA and ENR award-winning project, addressed the City of Clermont’s need for a new stormwater facility. The park re-envisions the typical stormwater pond approach by creating a community amenity that provides recreation, a wildlife habitat, and serves as a catalyst for future development in downtown Clermont.
Pennsylvania
Liberty Green Park is a stormwater management design incorporated into a 3-acre community park in the Larimer neighborhood of the City of Pittsburgh, which is striving to become a state-of-the-art ‘green’ city. Sustainability and green design are guiding principles throughout the planning process, and stormwater best management practices are being incorporated into the design.
The Port Authority of Allegheny County (PAAC) selected GAI’s CSG to design Homewood Green, PAAC’s first green infrastructure project, located along the East Busway and Finance Street in the Homewood neighborhood of Pittsburgh. The design includes a nearly 900-LF reuse bioswale along Finance Street, which will be planted with an assortment of water-filtering plant life to allow for runoff to be naturally filtered and reduced before entering the City’s storm system—showcasing PAAC’s commitment to water quality and best management practices.
GAI incorporated green stormwater infrastructure elements into the design for the revitalization of Taylor Memorial Park in Brockway, Pennsylvania. These include the addition of deciduous and evergreen trees, incorporation of underground infiltration trenches, and establishment of bioretention areas to manage water quality and volume.
GAI provided survey, environmental studies, water system design, permitting, construction phase services, and on-site monitoring services for the Pearce Mill Road Waterline Replacement project for the Allegheny County Public Works Department in collaboration with the Allegheny County Parks Foundation. The design was completed in consideration of the upcoming design of a park trail along the route, and the overall utility alignment design was prepared with the intent of minimizing the extent and duration of earth disturbance to maximize the protection of existing park features and vegetation by impacting the smallest footprint possible.
West Virginia
As a subconsultant, GAI and CSG provided design and site/civil engineering services for construction of the new Highlawn Elementary School in Huntington, Cabell County, West Virginia. GAI’s design utilizes green infrastructure techniques and features an underground stormwater detention area and rain garden bio-retention zone.
GAI developed the design for the Kanawha Trestle Walk and Bikeway System for the City of Charleston, West Virginia. The overall design resulted in a 4,000-SF net increase of pervious surfaces (i.e., greenspace), and is an example for the City on the use of stormwater best management practices and compliance with MS4 permitting.
Indiana
GAI was responsible for design of the stormwater infrastructure, utilizing green infrastructure techniques, where possible, for the rehabilitation of Stephens Park—a 3.2-acre neighborhood park in the Town of Brownsburg, Hendricks, County, Indiana. GAI’s design was created in accordance with the park master plan, Town of Brownsburg’s Stormwater Management Ordinance, and Hendricks County Stormwater Technical Standards Manual.
Find out more about GAI’s water and wastewater engineering services—message GAI online and start the conversation about how our multidiscipline professionals can meet your unique project demands.
