Odie Street Green Stormwater Infrastructure

North Carolina

Category: Infrastructure, Plan

Year: 2022

Funding: $242,624 primarily funded through a North Carolina Environmental Enhancement Grant (EEG) in addition to a partnership between the Town of Hillsborough and the Piedmont Conservation Council

BACKGROUND

In response to repeated road flooding on Odie Street in Hillsborough, North Carolina, The Town of Hillsborough Public Works Division along with Habitat for Humanity, Fairview Community Watch Group, and the Orange County Soil and Water Conservation District initiated a project to install green stormwater infrastructure and revitalize a Hillsborough neighborhood. Through a collaborative, community-driven process, the ditches on the street were transformed into bioswales and treatment swales. This project included the installation of 15 rain barrels, 4,000 square feet of native plantings, five educational events on stormwater pollution and green infrastructure for homeowners and the local community. The newly installed bioswales are estimated to provide an annual nitrogen and phosphorus pollutant load reduction of 84% and 92% respectively. This collaborative effort in a historically African American community is advancing environmental justice, improving drainage, reducing irrigation costs, adding beauty to the neighborhood, and providing pollinator habitat.

Image Credit: Town of Hillsborough, NC
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