Mashapaug Pond Stormwater Management – Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management (.gov)

Project Report: Mashapaug Pond Green Infrastructure Initiative and Sustainable Development Goal Alignment

Executive Summary

This report details a collaborative green infrastructure (GI) project undertaken in 2014 at J.T. Owen’s Park, Providence, Rhode Island. The project, centered on the construction of a bio-infiltration system, serves as a model for urban stormwater management. It demonstrates a practical and effective approach to achieving multiple United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly those related to water, sustainable cities, and environmental protection.

Project Background and Strategic Context

Location and Environmental Challenge

The project is located at J.T. Owen’s Park, adjacent to Mashapaug Pond, a waterbody officially listed as impaired due to excessive nutrient levels. Stormwater runoff from a 6.5-acre urban drainage area, including 2.6 acres of impervious surfaces, previously discharged directly into the pond. This contributed to poor water quality, impacting both Mashapaug Pond and the interconnected Roger Williams Park pond system. This situation directly contravenes the objectives of SDG 6 (Clean Water and Sanitation) and SDG 14 (Life Below Water), which call for the protection and restoration of water-related ecosystems.

Collaborative Framework: Advancing SDG 17

The initiative represents a strategic partnership between the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the City of Providence, and the Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management (RIDEM). This multi-stakeholder collaboration exemplifies SDG 17 (Partnerships for the Goals), leveraging combined expertise and resources to address complex urban environmental challenges.

Project Objectives and Contribution to Sustainable Development Goals

The primary goal was to implement a GI solution to mitigate stormwater pollution and promote sustainable urban water management. The project’s objectives were explicitly aligned with several SDGs:

• Improve Water Quality (SDG 6, SDG 14): To reduce pollutant loads, particularly nutrients, entering Mashapaug Pond, thereby addressing its impairment status and protecting aquatic life.
• Build Sustainable and Resilient Communities (SDG 11): To showcase GI as a viable strategy for municipalities to manage urban runoff, reduce the environmental impact of cities, and enhance urban green spaces.
• Promote Education and Capacity Building (SDG 4, SDG 11): To engage and educate municipal officials, engineers, and the public on the design, implementation, and benefits of GI systems.
• Ensure Long-Term Sustainability (SDG 6, SDG 11): To establish effective operation and maintenance (O&M) protocols, ensuring the system’s continued performance and long-term contribution to environmental health.

Technical Implementation and System Design

Bio-Infiltration System Retrofit

Construction, completed between January and June 2014, involved retrofitting the existing municipal separate storm sewer system (MS4). A flow diversion structure was installed to capture and redirect stormwater runoff to the newly constructed bio-infiltration basin. The system is designed to manage runoff from a 1.0 to 1.2-inch storm event, treating approximately 85,000 gallons of water from the 2.6-acre impervious area that would otherwise pollute the pond.

Performance Analysis and SDG Impact Assessment

Quantitative Achievements in Environmental Protection

Three years of operational data (as of Summer 2017) demonstrate significant progress toward key SDG targets. The system’s performance includes:

1. Reduction in Polluted Runoff (SDG 6.3, SDG 11.6): An estimated 10.5 million gallons of surface runoff have been prevented from discharging into Mashapaug Pond, representing an 85% reduction from the treated area.
2. Nutrient Load Reduction (SDG 14.1): An estimated 16 pounds of phosphorus, a primary contributor to harmful algal blooms, have been removed, achieving a 95% reduction. This directly addresses the target of preventing and reducing nutrient pollution in water bodies.
3. Groundwater Recharge (SDG 6.4): The system has facilitated the infiltration of approximately 10 million gallons of water, replenishing local groundwater resources and promoting a more natural water cycle.

Strategic Implications for Urban Sustainability and Climate Action

Building Resilient Cities (SDG 11)

The project’s success in a high-density urban area highlights the viability of retrofitting GI solutions even in constrained environments. Analysis indicates that smaller, strategically sited systems can be highly effective. In New England, where 66% of storm events are less than 0.5 inches, systems designed for smaller storms can capture a disproportionately high percentage of annual pollutant loads.

Cost-Effective Climate Adaptation (SDG 13)

The findings suggest that smaller, strategically placed Best Management Practices (BMPs) can be a cost-competitive approach for achieving nutrient reduction targets. This provides a scalable and adaptable model for cities seeking to manage the increased frequency and intensity of storm events associated with climate change, thus contributing to SDG 13 (Climate Action) by enhancing urban resilience.

Which SDGs are addressed or connected to the issues highlighted in the article?

• SDG 6: Clean Water and Sanitation
• SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities
• SDG 14: Life Below Water
• SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals

What specific targets under those SDGs can be identified based on the article’s content?

1. SDG 6: Clean Water and Sanitation

   • Target 6.3: By 2030, improve water quality by reducing pollution, eliminating dumping and minimizing release of hazardous chemicals and materials. The article describes a project specifically designed to “reduce stormwater runoff and pollution” and “improve water quality in Mashapaug Pond.” The bio-infiltration system directly tackles pollution from stormwater, which carries pollutants like phosphorus, sediment, and bacteria into the pond.
   • Target 6.6: By 2020, protect and restore water-related ecosystems, including mountains, forests, wetlands, rivers, aquifers and lakes. The project’s primary goal is to improve the health of Mashapaug Pond, a “waterbody listed as impaired for nutrients.” By reducing pollutant loads and increasing groundwater recharge, the project contributes to the restoration of this freshwater ecosystem.

2. SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities

   • Target 11.6: By 2030, reduce the adverse per capita environmental impact of cities, including by paying special attention to air quality and municipal and other waste management. The project implements green infrastructure (GI) as a “best management practice (BMP) for stormwater control” within the City of Providence. This directly addresses municipal waste management (stormwater) and reduces the city’s environmental impact on local water bodies.

3. SDG 14: Life Below Water

   • Target 14.1: By 2025, prevent and significantly reduce marine pollution of all kinds, in particular from land-based activities, including marine debris and nutrient pollution. Although Mashapaug Pond is a freshwater body, this target’s focus on reducing nutrient pollution from land-based activities is directly applicable. The article states the project achieved “an estimated reduction of 16 pounds of phosphorus (95% reduction),” a key nutrient pollutant originating from land-based stormwater runoff.

4. SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals

   • Target 17.17: Encourage and promote effective public, public-private and civil society partnerships. The article explicitly states the project was a partnership between the “United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the City of Providence, the Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management (RIDEM) and other stakeholders.” It also highlights a “public outreach component to showcase the project and engage the community,” demonstrating a multi-stakeholder, public partnership in action.

Are there any indicators mentioned or implied in the article that can be used to measure progress towards the identified targets?

1. SDG 6: Clean Water and Sanitation

   • Reduction in pollutant loads: The article provides specific metrics, stating the project led to “an estimated reduction of 16 pounds of phosphorus (95% reduction).” It also mentions the prevention of “other pollutants… such as sediment, bacteria, temperature (heat) and nitrogen.”
   • Reduction in untreated stormwater discharge: Progress is measured by the volume of runoff captured. The article notes a reduction in “surface runoff discharges to Mashapaug Pond by an estimated 10.5 million gallons (85% reduction).”
   • Volume of groundwater recharged: The article quantifies the restoration of groundwater, stating the system “is estimated to have recharged approximately 10 million gallons of water into the subsurface soils” over three years.

2. SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities

   • Implementation of green infrastructure for stormwater management: The core of the article is the construction and performance of a “bio-infiltration BMP” in a “high-density urban residential area.” The existence and successful operation of this system is a direct indicator.
   • Area of impervious cover treated: The system was designed to “divert up to approximately 1 to 1.2 inches of SW runoff from about 2.6 acres of impervious cover.” This provides a measurable scope of the project’s impact within the urban environment.

3. SDG 14: Life Below Water

   • Reduction in nutrient pollution: This is a key indicator for Target 14.1. The article explicitly measures this with the “estimated reduction of 16 pounds of phosphorus (95% reduction),” which contributes to algae blooms.

4. SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals

   • Number and type of partners engaged: The article identifies the specific public entities involved: “EPA, the City of Providence, the Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management (RIDEM) and other stakeholders.”
   • Implementation of educational and outreach activities: The project included a “public outreach component to showcase the project and engage the community” and to educate “local department of public works engineers and other municipal officials.” The presence of these activities serves as an indicator of a functional partnership.

Table of SDGs, Targets, and Indicators

Source: epa.gov