A proposal under consideration in New York City would require developers to install a rainwater detention tank on many new projects within the city limits.
The rule would apply to projects on lots sized 20,000 square feet or more in designated drainage areas. It would require developers to install a detention tank that could capture more than the stormwater volume of a 10-year rainfall event.
There would be a one-inch maximum diameter for the detention tank’s orifice, where water would exit, in order to create greater retention and a slower release of stormwater. This strategy was created after the city shifted away from the idea of creating separate sewer lines.
City officials rejected separating stormwater and wastewater lines because that massive public works project would have been too costly and would have taken too long to implement.
Related Stories
| Nov 9, 2012
Mayor in Calif. wants to expedite permits for $1B worth of projects
The mayor of San Jose, Calif., plans to issue new construction permits worth an estimated $1 billion in the next six months to spur job creation and create revenue for the city.
| Nov 9, 2012
Jury awards N.Y. roofer $2 million for injuries after construction site fall
A roofing worker from Cortland County, N.Y., has been awarded $2 million in damages due to the injuries he sustained from a 60-foot fall at a dormitory construction site.
| Oct 31, 2012
Investigators look into crane severely damaged by Sandy in Manhattan
Investigators are examining a construction crane collapse atop a $1.5 billion luxury high-rise in midtown Manhattan due to high winds during Hurricane Sandy.
| Oct 31, 2012
Construction error suspected in Miami-Dade College garage collapse
A construction error is the chief suspect in the partial collapse of a parking garage at Miami-Dade College in Doral, FL.
| Oct 31, 2012
New European laws on timber will go into effect in March 2013
A new European Union timber regulation prohibits the “placing on the market of illegally harvested timber or timber products derived from such timber.”
| Oct 31, 2012
MIT models show roofs' capacity for solar energy in Cambridge, Mass.
A new mapping tool from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and a Boston design firm can calculate rooftops' capacity for solar energy.
| Oct 31, 2012
Demand for living roofs, walls to reach $7.7 billion by 2017
The demand for green roofs and living walls is expected to climb from $5.3 billion in 2011 to $7.7 billion in 2017, according to a report from Lux Research.
| Oct 25, 2012
Philadelphia councilmen move to crack down on contractors working without licenses, permits
Two Philadelphia city councilmen are trying to crack down on the "underground economy" of developers and contractors who work without licenses and permits, pay cash under the table, and operate unsafe job sites.
