About the Author

Teresa Burrelsman, is the founder

of Eco Via Consulting, a sustainable
building and organizational
program consulting firm in Seattle,
WA.
Teresa has been active in the
sustainability and LEED industry for
over 10 years. She has been a LEED
Reviewer for the USGBC and led
the LEED version3/2009 Visioning
Process and developed early drafts
of LEED Retail. She has worked on
dozens of LEED projects, including
retail, office and mixed-use.
Eco Via Consulting works with our clients to create
their unique path to sustainability. We provide
services in the following areas:
Sustainable & LEED Buildings
Programs, Research & Training
Public Outreach & Facilitation
www.ecoviaconsulting.com
GreenCE, Inc. 2011
Please note: you will need to complete the conclusion quiz online at GreenCE.com to receive credit
Low-Impact Development
A Sustainable Site Design Approach for LEED NC and O+M
T E RE S A BURRE L S MAN
ECO VI A CONS ULT I NG
( 2 0 6 ) 6 1 8 - 1 8 4 5
T E R E S A@E C OVI AC ONS ULT I NG. C OM
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Credit for this course is
1 AIA/CES LU Hour
1 GBCI CE Hour
1 LEED Specific BD+C GBCI CE Hour
1 LEED Specific O+M GBCI CE Hour
An American Institute of Architects (AIA)
Continuing Education Program
Approved Promotional Statement:
GreenCE, Inc. is a registered provider with The American Institute of Architects
Continuing Education System. Credit earned upon completion of this program will be
reported to CES Records for AIA members. Certificates of Completion are available for
all course participants upon completion of the course conclusion quiz with +80%.
This program is registered with the AIA/CES for continuing professional education. As
such, it does not include content that may be deemed or construed to be an approval
or endorsement by the AIA or GreenCE, Inc. of any material of construction or any
method or manner of handling, using, distributing, or dealing in any material or
product.
An American Institute of Architects (AIA)
Continuing Education Program
Course Format: This is a structured, web-based course with a final exam.
Course Credit: 1 AIA Learning Unit (LU)
Completion Certificate: A copy is sent to you by email or you can print one upon
successful completion of a course. If you have any difficulties printing or receiving by
email please send requests to certificate@greence.com
Design professionals, please remember to print or save your certificate of completion
after successfully completing a course conclusion quiz. Email confirmations will be
sent to the email address you have provided in your GreenCE.com account.
Please note: you will need to complete the conclusion quiz online at GreenCE.com to receive credit
USGBC CE Program
Low-Impact Development:
A Sustainable Site Design Approach for LEED NC and O+M
USGBC Course ID: 90005338
Approved for 1 GBCI CE Hour for LEED Professionals and
1 LEED Specific BD+C GBCI CE Hour for LEED Professionals
1 LEED Specific O+M GBCI CE Hour for LEED Professionals
GreenCE, Inc.
Learning
Objectives
By completing this course the LEED
Professional will be able to:
Define Low Impact Development as a
sustainable site
Describe which LEED credits can be
achieved through a LID site approach
Discuss a LEED project example and how
LID strategies were used
Incorporate LID processes and strategies
into your LEED projects
Communicate the benefits of LEED
Sustainable Sites strategies
SITE DEVELOPMENT CONTEXT
Section 1
Development Pressure on Ecosystems
Across the U.S. almost all water bodies are polluted to
some degree due to stormwater run-off
Stormwater from our driveways, roads, parking lots and
lawns contain heavy metals, toxins, and sediments
Site Design Impacts
With increased development comes a set of site impacts:
Wildlife habitat & ecosystem destruction
Economic impact of transit
Walkability and health impacts
Community connections
Linkages to tourism and recruitment
Increasing air pollution and climate change
Stormwater Runoff Problems
First, stormwater transports a mixture of pollutants such as petroleum products, heavy
metals, animal waste and sediments from construction sites, roads, highways, parking
lots, lawns and other developed lands, with the following results:
Pollution has harmed virtually all urban creeks, streams and rivers in
Washington State.
Stormwater is the leading contributor to water quality pollution of urban waterways
in the state.
Two species of salmon and bull tout are threatened with extinction under the federal
Endangered Species Act. Loss of habitat due to stormwater and development is one of
the causes.
Shellfish harvest at many beaches is restricted or prohibited due to pollution.
Stormwater runoff is often one of the causes.
Stormwater likely contributes to the killing of high percentages of healthy coho
salmon in Seattle creeks within hours of the fish entering the creeks, before the fish
are able to spawn.
English sole are more likely to develop cancerous lesions on their livers in more urban
areas. Stormwater likely plays a role.
Stormwater Runoff Problems
Second, during the wet, winter months, high stormwater flows can:
Cause flooding.
Damage property.
Harm and render unusable fish and wildlife habitat by eroding stream banks,
widening stream channels, depositing excessive sediment and altering natural
streams and wetlands.
In addition, more impervious surface area means less water soaks into the ground.
As a result, drinking water supplies are not replenished and streams and wetlands
are not recharged. This can lead to water shortages for people and inadequate
stream flows and wetland water levels for fish and other wildlife.
Pollutants in Urban Storm Water
Table courtesy of UC Davis Extension, Department of Water & Land Use
Pre-Development Hydrology
Pre-Development Environment
Storm events are moderated by
infiltration, evaporation and
transpiration
Ground water is recharged to
sustain summer stream flow
Post-Development Hydrology
Post-Development Environment
Surface run-off increases
Less water infiltrated for
groundwater recharge
Increased sediments and
pollutants delivered to water
bodies
Increased flow can cause
flooding and wash away aquatic
habitat
WHAT IS LOW IMPACT DEVELOPMENT?
Section 2
Low Impact Development
Low Impact Development is an approach to site design that
uses natural systems rather than conventional
infrastructure to mitigate stormwater.
LID Objectives
Mimic sites predevelopment hydrologic function to reduce
development impact on receiving water bodies by:
Filtering pollutants with soil, plant and paving materials
Minimize, detain, and retain post development runoff on-site
Low Impact Development seeks to recreate
natural hydrology by 3 key measures:
1. Treat rain drop near where it fell
2. Several smaller BMPs create redundancy
3. Return to distributed vs. regional
treatment
Development Impact on Urban Streams
Goal: Look at growth, habitat, water, & energy and
balance development and natural needs
LID Strategies
Conservation measures
Retain forest and planted areas & restore habitat .
Protect native soils that drain well, and restore the draining capacity of construction compacted soils.
Protect topographic site features that slow, store and infiltrate stormwater.
Protect natural drainage patterns and features.
Site planning
Use a multi-disciplinary approach with planners, engineers, architects, and landscape architects.
Place buildings and roads away from critical areas and well-draining soils.
Minimize impervious surfaces and completely disconnect them.
Distributed management practices
Manage stormwater as close to its origin as possible with multiple, small scale LID techniques.
Design site that slows surface flows.
Increase the reliability by using multiple, redundant stormwater controls.
Use the stormwater controls as site amenities.
Reduce the reliance on traditional collection and conveyance stormwater practices.
Maintenance and education
Develop reliable, long-term maintenance programs with clear and enforceable guidelines.
Educate owner/operators and staff on proper operation and maintenance practices.
LID Techniques
LID can effectively be described as a means of Distributed
Stormwater Management, which uses the following individual
techniques, typically in combination to create redundancies.
Bio-Retention
Bio-Swales
Plants
Tree Box Filters
Soil Amendments
Pervious Pavement
Rainwater Harvesting
Subsurface Retention
Green Roofs
Pin Foundations
What Does LID Look Like?
Left: Green roofs that
absorb and filter rain
water (Seattle City
Hall)
Right: Streets that
drain to vegetated
swales and create
walkable
neighborhoods
Left: Permeable
pavement with under-
vault that treats run-
off and slowly releases
it to the watershed
Right: Rain gardens
that use stormwater
instead of irrigation
The 3 Rs of Sustainable Stormwater
Reduce impervious area
Retain water on-site via infiltration & evaporation
Re-Use water on site by harvesting rainwater for irrigation
or other non-potable uses
Image credit: LIDC
This bioswale in Seattle captures
stormwater in a vegetated
depression with engineered soils.
Water-loving plants, mulch and
soil amendments create a system
that absorbs and treats run-off.
Retention techniques like this can
often reduce or eliminate the need
for conventional stormwater
infrastructure.
HOW DOES LID APPLY TO LEED?
Section 3
LEED & LID
LID is an aspect of sustainable site design
LID can also support water savings
LID may involve local, reused or recycled
materials
Therefore,
LID strategies can help achieve LEED
credits in:
Sustainable Sites (SS)
Water Efficiency (WE)
Materials & Resources (MR)
Innovation in Design (ID)
Regional Priority (RP)
Street trees help reduce
urban heat island effect,
while also treating
stormwater run-off and
reducing impacts on local
water bodies.
LEED & LID
LID strategies will tally differently across LEED systems. In
this course, we will focus on new and existing building
construction:
LEED 2009
New Construction (NC)
Core & Shell (CS)
Schools
Existing Buildings: Operations & Maintenance (EBO&M)
Commercial Interiors
LEED for Neighborhood Development (LEED ND)
Credits will be similar in LEED Homes, LEED Healthcare & LEED for
Retail NC
LEED & SUSTAINABLE SITES
Matching the site to appropriate use
Enable alternative transportation
(train, bus, carpool, bikes, & walking)
Native and adapted landscaping
Reduce need for chemical pesticides & fertilizers and
irrigation
Protect surrounding habitats
Manage storm water
Reduce heat island effect
Eliminate light pollution
SUSTAINABLE SITE DESIGN
The LEED for New Construction Reference Guide describes sustainable site design as:
Overlap
with LID
RELATED CREDITS AT A GLANCE
Sustainable Sites Credits (7)
SSc5.1 Protect/Restore Habitat*
SSc5.2 Maximize Open Space*
SSc6.1 Stormwater Quantity
Control*
SSc6.2 Stormwater Quality
Control*
SSc7.1 Heat Island Non-roof*
SSc7.2 Heat Island Roof*
SSc9 Site Master Plan (LEED
Schools)
Water Credits (10)
WEc1 Water-Efficient Irrigation
WEc2 Innovative Waste Water
Technologies*
WEc3 Water Use Reduction*
Materials Credits (6)
MRc3 Materials Reuse*
MRc4 Recycled Content*
MRc5 Regional Materials*
Innovation Credits
Exemplary Performance in Credits
Above with *
LEED 2009: NC, CS, SCHOOLS, RETAIL
17 Key LID points in SS and WE + MR Contributes to up to 6 additional + ID Potential
RELATED CREDITS AT A GLANCE
Sustainable Sites Credits
(up to 5 points)
SSc3 IPM, Erosion & Landscape
Management Plan
SSc5 Protect/Restore Habitat*
SSc6 Stormwater Quantity Control*
SSc7.1 Heat Island Non-roof*
SSc7.2 Heat Island Roof*
Water Credits (up to 10 points)
WEc2 Indoor Water Use Reduction*
WEc3 Water-Efficient Landscaping
Innovation Credits
Exemplary Performance in Credits
Above with *
LEED O&M
15 Key LID points + ID Potential
LID & LEED Credit Details
The major LID-related LEED credits relate to the following
strategies:
1. Increased open space amenities - NC SSc5.2, O+M SSc5
2. Stormwater Quantity Reduction - NC SSc6.1, O+M SSc6
3. Stormwater Quality NC SSc6.2
4. Native and adapted plants - NC SSc5.1, NC WEc1
5. Shading and green hardscapes NC & O+M SSc7.1
6. Green roofs NC & O+M SSc7.2
7. Water reuse NC WEc1, NC/O+M WEc2, WEc3
8. Green materials NC MRc3, MRc4 & MRc5
Open Space
Infiltrate and store run-off
through engineered,
graded and planted
depression.
Underdrain or retention
vault optional.
Includes:
Rain gardens
Bio-retention cell
Vegetated Swale
Tree Box Filters
Stormwater Planters
Stormwater
Quantity &
Quality
By installing bio-retention
areas such as rain
gardens and bio-swales,
the landscape can do
double duty be
beautiful AND treat and
infiltrate run-off.
Components include:
Amended soil
Drainage area sized for
site
Water-loving plants
Underdrain, in some
cases
The Highpoint neighborhood in Seattle used rain gardens and bio-swales as part of a
LID approach that reduced stormwater run-off by 65%.
Native & Adapted
Plants
Preserve existing open
space
Create new open areas
Water loving plants in
retention areas
Low-water landscapes
in non-retention areas
Preserve existing trees
Shading & Green
Hardscapes
Street trees reduce
drainage infrastructure
Established trees
absorb up to 3x more
water
Larger trees also
provide more shade
Light colored
pavements reflect heat
Pervious pavements
treat stormwater and
can combine with vaults
for storage and reuse
Street Trees & Curb Bulbs,
Portland, OR. Credit: LIDC
Permeable and
light colored
pavements
infiltrate
stormwater. The
gravel catches
bacteria and
pollutants.
Shoreline, WA
Credit:
T. Burrelsman
Green Roofs
Planted roof that adds
infiltration,
evapotranspiration and
filtering capacity to
reduce stormwater runoff.
Also reduces urban heat
build-up.
Components:
Root barrier
Engineered soil mix
Low water plants
Irrigation system (opt)
City Hall, Seattle, WA
Images: American Hydrotech
Ballard Library, Seattle, WA
Water Reuse
Capture rain water for
use.
Applicable for:
Commercial reuse in
toilet flushing
Landscape irrigation
Residential gardening
Green Materials
Dont forget landscaping
when it comes to green
materials:
Local mulches and
plants
Reuse cuttings from site
clearing as mulch and
amendments
Site furniture can be
local or contain recycled
content
Paving can be specified
with recycled
aggregates and fly ash
Putting it All Together
Lets look at a LEED project and how it used a combination
of low impact development strategies to create a beautiful
civic space with good green performance:
Uses less water
Treats neighborhood stormwater
Benefits the local watershed
Creates desirable open space
Northgate Civic
Center
Site: 3.5 acres
Square Feet: 10,000 library,
20,000 community center
Construction Cost: $295/sq.
ft. library;
$228/sq. ft. community
center
Completed: July 2006
LEED NC v2.1 Gold
Architect: Miller|Hull
Owner: City of Seattle &
Seattle Library
Images: Miller|Hull
Northgate Civic
Center
267,000 gallon
detention vault below
the lawn
Sized for 100 YR, 23 hr
storm
Multiple agency
combined budgets
Transportation, Library,
Parks
Site handles its own
run-off plus 1 acre
adjacent natural area
and 5th Ave NE
Stormwater Details:
October through April, water steadily released
to storm system at rates set by new city
standards, which match those of the same land
without any impervious surfaces.
From May to September, the releasing pump is
reset for use only on site, and the water is
collected and drawn down for irrigation.
Through water harvesting, the system yields
approx 300,000 gallons per year diverted
Combined with a reduction of impervious
surfaces, stormwater runoff leaving the site
was reduced by over 30 percent after
redevelopment.
Northgate Civic
Center
The new Northgate Civic
Center provides a
community center and a
library and creates a
much needed focal point
to the neighborhood.
Utilizing a sustainable site
and LID approach
contributed to LEED
credits in the Sustainable
Sites and Water Efficiency
Categories.
Northgate Civic
Center
In addition to LID
features, the project is
located along future light
rail and future mixed-use
housing.
The project is an excellent
example of using urban
infill to build community
and contribute to a
sustainable city.
LID LEED credits at Northgate
Sustainable Sites:
SS credit 6.1: Stormwater Quantity Reduction by using rain
gardens and bio-swales for infiltration and a vault below
the lawn for storage for irrigation and slow release of
excess water to Thornton Creek.
SS credit 6.2: Stormwater Quality Treatment by landscape
features including rain gardens, bioswales and even the
vault.
SS credit 5.1: Increased Open Space. The project created a
beautiful park that does double duty providing a public
amenity and treating stormwater!
Water Efficiency:
WE credit 1.1 & 1.2: Rainwater harvesting supplies all
irrigation water. Drip irrigation and low-water plants allow
landscape to thrive on available rain water.
Northgate Civic
Center
LID LEED credits at Northgate
Innovation & Design Process:
The project achieved an ID credit for creating a
Pesticide-Free Park. Proper plant selections suited to
the local climate, mulching and soil amendments, and
rain gardens and swales that capture site run-off create
hearty landscapes that resist infestation.
Northgate Civic
Center
LID & LEED Benefits:
46% reduction in energy use $34,500 in
annual savings
77% reduction in potable water use
$2,500 in annual savings
94% construction waste diverted from
landfills through recycling
30% decrease in the rate of stormwater
runoff
19.5% decrease in impervious surface
area
Images: Miller|Hull
Northgate Civic
Center
Lessons Learned:
Combined agency budgets critical to
civic/community development
Process champions and support from
Mayor enabled success
Large underground vault stores water
for use in the dry season
Substantially reduces irrigation
Run-off will closely resemble pre-settlement
levels to Thornton Creek
Set sustainability goals early
LEED Gold decision made late in design
Impacted costs
Increased constraints limit options
THE LID PROCESS
Section 4
Design for LID - Process
Design/Planning
Construction
Maintenance
Policy
Funding
Guidelines
Permitting
New Methods
Budget
Staff
LID Team
Owner/Developer
Permit Liaison
Civil Engineer
Landscape Architect
Architect or Designer
Sustainability/LEED Consultant
Contractor
Permitting Agencies
Community
An integrated design team,
where multiple disciplines come
to the process early in design, will
make achieving high
performance, LEED and LID
projects easier and more cost-
effective.
Steps
As with any new LEED strategy, LID design should begin with a
conversation and doesnt end until maintenance issues are
addressed!
1. Discuss Site Design approach and goals with client
2. Put lid strategies in right place (downslope from foundations &
up slope from stormwater infrastructure)
3. Size features estimates okay for early design but cant beat
calculations for final design
4. Evaluate existing soils
5. Design soil amendments based on climate & soil
6. Select native and low-water plantings for lower maintenance
7. Install
8. Maintain (include tips in O&M Manual)
Green, LID & LEED Communication
Effective communication is a key factor in developing successful
projects and for sharing the ideas and concepts surrounding
sustainable stormwater practices.
During implementation, frequent and open communication can
eliminate obstacles before they appear and prevent
misunderstandings.
If your goal is to encourage implementation of green or
sustainable stormwater practices, it is important to be able to
articulate the benefits of these practices to clients, the public, or
to public or private developers.
Communicating Benefits
Example benefits to local governments:
Protecting water quality helps protect real estate values & tax revenues.
Reduced inflow less stormwater leaking into sanitary sewers means less
volume of water reaching sewage treatment plant.
Reduced filtration costs bioretention instead of piped stormwater and sand
filters saved $250,000 along Anacostia River in Washington, DC.
Reduced public expenditures on stormwater infrastructure including expensive
retrofits.
Reduced system-wide operations and maintenance costs of pipe
infrastructure.
Extend useful life of central pipe infrastructure as populations in-crease.
Reduced regulatory costs associated with water-quality impacts, such as
threats to sensitive species, NPDES compliance, etc.
Communicating Benefits
Example benefits to the community:
Protecting natural ecosystems through sound LID practices provides benefits
to communities such as: reduced flooding, improved water quality, increased
groundwater recharge, improved air quality, enhanced aesthetics, enhanced
property values, increased open space, and carbon sequestration. These are
all ecosystem services.
Protecting water quality through LID maintains the value of clean water,
which is usually less expensive than cleaning contaminated water. Not having
to clean contaminated water is an avoided cost.
Clean water is a quality of life benefit; although difficult to quantify, its value
may rival or exceed more tangible benefits. For example, protecting human
health is the driving force behind the nations water supply protection
program.
Reduced flooding, reduced stream erosion, and reduced pollutant loading to
downstream waters.
Communicating Benefits
Example benefits to developers:
Increased number of buildable lots reducing the need for stormwater
retention ponds may result in more lots available for homesites.
Less spent on infrastructure replacing curb, gutter, and storm sewers with
roadside swales saved one developer $70,000 per mile, or $800 per
residence.
Increased property values lots in LID neighborhoods sold for $3,000 more
than lots in competing areas not using LID.
Initial savings from LID are usually accomplished through less conventional
stormwater infrastructure, less paving, and lower site preparation costs.
Construction Administration
Implementing erosion & sedimentation practices is
critical for LID and is a LEED prerequisite.
Remember to protect drain inlets and outlets
Protect catch basins
Cover permeable paving immediately after pouring, as
voids enhanced drying. No trowels or floats, no dowels.
Installers should have proper certifications and/or
experience (Permeable Pavement Certification, etc.)
Maintenance Items
Monitor sedimentation at drains
Permeable paving requires vacuum or pressure washer
Landscaped retention areas require maintenance,
similar to any landscape
Inform staff of proactive measures, maintenance and
repair needs of LID techniques
Establish a maintenance schedule
Sample Schedule
SUMMARY
Section 5
LID & LEED Go Together!
Using low impact development techniques contributes to
a number of LEED credits, particularly in the Sustainable
Sites & Water Efficiency categories.
Low impact development contributes to site designs that
create open space, habitat, and walkable communities.
Low impact development is a cost effective approach that
facilitates development without negatively impacting
local watersheds.
LID Data & Case Study Resources
For additional project examples and data:
US EPA LID Resources
www.epa.gov/nps/lid/
US EPA Study: Reducing Stormwater Costs through Low Impact
Development (LID) Strategies and Practices
www.epa.gov/nps/lid
Sightline Report 2010: Cleaning up WA Toxic Runoff
http://www.sightline.org/research/pollution/res_pubs/curbing-
stormwater-pollution
Course Summary
Now the design professional will be able to:
Define Low Impact Development as a
sustainable site
Describe which LEED credits can be
achieved through a LID site approach
Discuss a LEED project example and how
LID strategies were used
Incorporate LID processes and strategies
into your LEED projects
Communicate the benefits of LEED
Sustainable Sites strategies
AIA Course Evaluation
In order to maintain high-quality learning experiences, please access the
evaluation for this course by logging into CES Discovery and clicking on the
Course Evaluation link on the left side of the page.
Low-Impact Development
A Sustainable Site Design Approach for LEED NC and O+M
T E RE S A BURRE L S MAN
ECO VI A CONS ULT I NG
( 2 0 6 ) 6 1 8 - 1 8 4 5
T E R E S A@E C OVI AC ONS ULT I NG. C OM
WWW. E C OVI AC ONS ULT I NG. C OM
WWW. S US TAI NAB L E C OL L AB OR AT I ONNE T WOR K . C OM
gev00f
Credit for this course is
1 AIA/CES LU Hour
1 GBCI CE Hour
1 LEED Specific BD+C GBCI CE Hour
1 LEED Specific O+M GBCI CE Hour
GreenCE, Inc. 2011
Please note: you will need to complete the conclusion quiz online at GreenCE.com to receive credit