Sustainable and Affordable: Stormwater Management at Galen Terrace Apartments

Have you seen NHT's latest video? Galen Terrace Apartments in Washington D.C. showcases how housing can be affordable while also helping to improve the health of the city's Anacostia River. A new stormwater management system at the property will reduce the harmful impact of excessive and polluted runoff entering local waterways. Not only does the environment benefit from the system, so does the property's bottom line. The system will reduce the building's growing water bill by lowering stormwater management fees, and it could even be a source of revenue via D.C.'s novel Stormwater Retention Credit (SRC) trading program. 

So how does the stormwater system work? With the help of the Anacostia Watershed Society (AWS) and the D.C. Department of Energy & Environment's (DDOE) RiverSmart Communities program, a stormwater planter was constructed that included retention walls and natural infiltration materials such as sand, rocks, and soil. The property's residents even flexed their gardening skills by adding native plants. The new landscaped area will diffuse, absorb and slow down rainwater before it can enter a nearby storm drain and adversely impact the water quality of local streams and rivers.  

"The stormwater management system at Galen Terrace is one of a series of investments we have made to improve the quality of life for residents," said NHT Sustainability Development Manager Jared Lang. "Developed by NHT/Enterprise and Somerset Development, Galen Terrace was the first rehabilitated property in D.C. to meet all of the 'green' criteria under the Enterprise Green Communities Initiative."

Today, the Anacostia River is too polluted for swimming and fishing, but hopefully with more stormwater renovations like the one at Galen Terrace, city residents will someday soon be able to enjoy all that the river has to offer.