The Cost of Managing Stormwater

Allerhand, Joanna; Boyer, K. Brian; McCarthy, Patrick; Kieser, Mark S.

doi:10.3992/jgb.7.3.80

“…Funding is often a significant barrier to updating stormwater infrastructure and providing effective services while also meeting federal water quality regulations (Allerhand et al., 2009; Cousins & Hill, 2021; Stormwater Infrastructure Finance Task Force, 2020). Under a traditional public works financing model, stormwater systems and management are funded through taxpayer sources, such as the general fund or road fees, and compete with other priorities for a proportion of the monies.…”

Section: Economic Efficiency and Swm Financingmentioning

confidence: 99%

Disambiguating Concepts of Fairness in Stormwater Management: A Review of Economic Efficiency and Equity

Arik

2024

Water Resources Research

1

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To confront the converging challenges of failing infrastructure, climate change, degraded water quality, and fewer undeveloped lands, many municipalities are establishing stormwater utilities (SWUs) to allocate a dedicated funding source to stormwater management (SWM) services. As a public service, creating a “fair” SWU by defining collective values that reflect community and municipal needs is crucial. However, the prevalent professional discourse surrounding SWUs often conflates “equity” with “economic efficiency” when they are two theoretically separate concepts, which obscure concerns raised by service beneficiaries. This paper unpacks ideas of fairness based on a systematic literature review that frames SWM financing in terms of economic efficiency and SWM services in terms of distributional, procedural, and structural equity. The distinction of which is important to set appropriate expectations between SWUs and beneficiaries.

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“…Funding is often a significant barrier to updating stormwater infrastructure and providing effective services while also meeting federal water quality regulations (Allerhand et al, 2009;Cousins & Hill, 2021;Stormwater Infrastructure Finance Task Force, 2020). Under a traditional public works financing model, stormwater systems and management are funded through taxpayer sources, such as the general fund or road fees, and compete with other priorities for a proportion of the monies.…”

Section: Financing Modelsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Disambiguating Concepts of Fairness in Stormwater Management: A Review of Economic Efficiency and Equity

Arik

¹

2023

Preprint

0

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To confront the converging challenges of failing infrastructure, climate change, degraded water quality, and fewer undeveloped lands, many municipalities are establishing stormwater utilities (SWUs) to allocate a dedicated funding source to stormwater management (SWM) services. As a public service, creating a “fair” SWU by defining collective values that reflect community and municipal needs is crucial. However, the prevalent professional discourse surrounding SWUs often conflates “equity” with “economic efficiency” when they are two theoretically separate concepts, which obscure concerns raised by service beneficiaries. This paper unpacks ideas of fairness based on a systematic literature review that frames SWM financing in terms of economic efficiency and SWM services in terms of distributional, procedural, and structural equity. The distinction of which is important to set appropriate expectations between SWUs and beneficiaries.

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“…Because of the singular purpose of such infrastructure and the static nature of such projects once completed, cost-benefit analyses are generally straightforward to conduct to motivate budgeting (Krieger and Grubert, 2021). At the same time, gray infrastructure implementation may result in adverse consequences requiring mitigation that are not included in standard cost-benefit analyses, such as water quality mitigation (Allerhand et al, 2009). On the other hand, various ecologically-oriented engineering tactics such as green infrastructure and natural functions restoration focus on reducing runoff while retaining the water's benefits as a resource.…”

Section: Stormwater Infrastructure Approachmentioning

confidence: 99%

Characterizing Competing Viewpoints in Stormwater Governance: An Urban Honolulu Case Study

Arik

¹

2022

Front. Sustain. Cities

5

0

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Stormwater management is a fundamental public service in urban areas that has wide-ranging implications on water supply, public safety, and ecosystem health. This paper examines stormwater management priorities expressed by community leaders and residents, educators, industry professionals, and water managers. It uses Q-methodology, a mixed-method approach, to understand prevalent narratives around stormwater management that comprise the public discourse. The purpose of this research is to elucidate points of agreement and disagreement in the context of a contentious flood risk management project. In total, 18 participants ranked an identical set of 25 idea statements relative to one another. Through principal component analysis, I identify four distinct narratives that prioritize different aspects of stormwater management objectives. The narrative analysis shows broad agreement that decentralized, soft infrastructure (e.g., green infrastructure) should be part of stormwater management solutions. However, there is widespread disagreement over funding mechanisms, the community's responsibilities, and the underlying planning approach to stormwater management. There was no discernable pattern in sector affiliation with any of the narratives. I summarize the dimensionality of stormwater governance and the potential spectrum of ideas about infrastructure, responsibilities, and planning approaches in a framework that characterizes competing viewpoints. The results of this study are useful in understanding underlying sources of conflict regarding stormwater management that may not be readily apparent in public discourse.

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The Cost of Managing Stormwater

Cited by 7 publications

References 4 publications

Disambiguating Concepts of Fairness in Stormwater Management: A Review of Economic Efficiency and Equity

Disambiguating Concepts of Fairness in Stormwater Management: A Review of Economic Efficiency and Equity

Disambiguating Concepts of Fairness in Stormwater Management: A Review of Economic Efficiency and Equity

Characterizing Competing Viewpoints in Stormwater Governance: An Urban Honolulu Case Study

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