Stormwater Management: Conventional Wisdom

The traditional approach to stormwater management in urban environments has been to treat it as a problem to be managed, a liability that cities must control to prevent flooding, pollution, and infrastructure damage. Cities have been built upon this principle: quickly removing runoff from urban areas, directing it into storm drains, underground pipes, and ultimately, distant water bodies.

The irony is that cities need water, and by treating it as burden and whisking it away from its source, urban centers have become remarkably inefficient. As Thomas W. Liptan notes in Sustainable Stormwater Management:

“In essence we create a double jeopardy situation where we pay financial and environmental premiums to remove rainfall that we’ve allowed to become polluted from our urban spaces, and then pay that premium again as we capture and import water from elsewhere to meet the residential, commercial, and industrial needs of city denizens.”

This conventional wisdom approach to stormwater management ignores its potential as a valuable resource. Instead of treating rainwater as waste, a new green strategy is emerging — one that recognizes stormwater’s ability to enhance urban environments, replenish groundwater, and reduce the urban heat island effect.

Shifting to Stormwater as a Resource

Communities are beginning to reimagine stormwater not as a problem to be eliminated but as an asset to be harnessed. The Banking on Green report by American Rivers captures this shift:

“Today, a new paradigm is developing where communities are beginning to use stormwater as a resource, recognizing the value in utilizing rainfall on site to enhance green spaces, reduce urban temperatures, and replenish groundwater supplies.”

Low-impact development (LID) strategies and green infrastructure solutions are leading this transformation. Bioretention areas, permeable pavements, green roofs, and stormwater harvesting systems are helping cities move away from a single-use, high-cost approach to a more regenerative model of stormwater management.

Some of the important environmental benefits to using water on site include:

• On-Site Water Retention: Instead of treating stormwater as waste, green infrastructure solutions store and reuse water where it falls, reducing reliance on municipal systems.
• Irrigation for Trees & Green Spaces: Captured stormwater can be redirected to nourish urban plant life, improving air quality, reducing the urban heat island effect, and enhancing aesthetics.
• Groundwater Recharge & Flood Mitigation: Permeable surfaces, bioswales, and storage solutions like the Marino Cell help slow and filter runoff, allowing water to naturally percolate into the soil.
• Resilient Urban Design: By integrating green infrastructure, cities can create more sustainable and adaptive environments that manage stormwater efficiently while providing ecosystem benefits.

Finding the Space with Marino Cell

Of course, one of the greatest challenges in implementing green infrastructure in dense urban environments is finding the real estate to do it. Traditional stormwater infrastructure is often prioritized over landscape elements, leaving little room for green solutions. As Liptan points out:

“Project designs, especially in urban areas, seldom prioritize landscape spaces when divvying up the real estate. Successful implementation of green infrastructure relies on the designer’s ability to find utility in spaces remaining or created, and in finding opportunities for dual-use shared services.”

This is where innovative solutions like Marino Cell come into play.

Marino Cell is a shallow stormwater storage device designed specifically for complex built environments where space is limited. Unlike traditional underground detention systems that require deep excavation or prohibitive loading requirements, Marino Cell provides a versatile, space-efficient way to store and manage stormwater while integrating seamlessly into urban landscapes. Simply put, it allows us to manage stormwater in spaces we never before could.

Marino Cell has a number of concurrent advantages, including:

• Optimized for Complex Built Environments: Designed for shallow storage, the Marino Cell allows for effective stormwater management in space-constrained areas.
• Dual-Functionality: It not only mitigates flooding but also enables water reuse for irrigation and other green applications.
• Enhancing Sustainability Goals: Incorporating solutions like the Marino Cell aligns with modern urban planning strategies focused on sustainability and climate resilience.

By incorporating solutions like Marino Cell, cities can turn stormwater from a costly liability into a sustainable asset — one that nourishes green spaces, mitigates flooding, and reduces reliance on imported water. As urban areas continue to grow, creative stormwater management strategies will be key to building resilient, livable, and environmentally responsible communities.