Sustainable water strategies can strengthen our economy while protecting our environment. We call on Rockland County to adopt a water management policy that includes: better coordination of land-use planning, an active program to preserve open space, green infrastructure to reduce flooding and increase recharge of aquifers; and an energetic program of water conservation and efficiency. Finally, Rockland County must face the fact that limits to development, based on sustainable use of resources, are essential if we are to avoid the social, economic, and environmental costs of desalination.
Desalination is among the most expensive water supply options. There are better options! (Click chart to enlarge.)
Hudson Valley Water: Opportunities and Challenges
Improved efficiency and increased conservation are the cheapest, easiest, and least destructive ways to meet our future water needs. You can learn more using the links below:
An overview of the potential of conservation
What other communities around the country have been able to accomplish
Basic steps communities can take
A closer look at what one community is doing to conserve water
A comparison of Rockland County’s water usage with other areas
An exploration of the potential of conservation
Calculate your own water footprint and to find out what you can do at home
Stormwater leads to flooding as areas are paved over. “Green infrastructure” practices seek to use natural processes as much as possible to manage stormwater so that it can recharge our aquifers. The slogan for green infrastructure is: slow it down, spread it out, soak it in.
Green infrastructure practices maintain or restore stormwater’s natural flow pattern by allowing the water to slowly permeate into the ground and be used by plants. These practices include rain gardens, vegetated swales, green roofs and porous pavements. Green infrastructure also includes preserving or restoring natural areas, such as forests, stream buffers and wetlands, and reducing the size of paved surfaces. Green infrastructure generally includes “better site design” or “low impact development” stormwater projects.
For more information:
Green Infrastructure Examples for Stormwater Management in the Hudson Valley
Planning for Stormwater: Reducing runoff through better site design
Take a Virtual Tour of Local Rainwater Management Innovations
