GTECH GSI: O-27

The GTECH Green Stormwater Infrastructure (GSI) Project uses green solutions to address pressing stormwater issues and community needs. We seek to understand the types of GSI features desired in communities and how they can be used to create creative community spaces while reducing stormwater runoff. The goal of the GTECH GSI project is to reduce the amount of combined sewer overflows occurring while also achieving community co-benefits. This is achieved by using green solutions to capture stormwater while creating valuable community green spaces for everyone to enjoy.

The O-27 / Woods Run sewershed has been identified as a priority stormwater management area by the Pittsburgh Water and Sewer Authority (PWSA). The goal of the GTECH Green Stormwater Infrastructure (GSI) project is to maximize community benefit associated with upcoming stormwater infrastructure investments in O-27.

 

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People who know me to part of the liaison program will come up to me and ask questions regarding, rain gardens, rain barrels (their effectiveness) etc…they also speak about their concerns of the storm water issues in Riverview Park. Dorrie Smith, Observatory Hill Community Liaison

As of December of 2017, all of our O-27 projects have been completed. There are a handful of final tasks to do in the late spring, like bringing the cistern online and planting grass seed at the RUPC Labyrinth. Check out each of the project pages below to see how things turned out!

Community Stormwater Survey

O-27 liaisons collected nearly 350 community stormwater surveys from residents. Surveys were used to understand and map the stormwater issues residents face in their neighborhoods, as well as to catalog the types of open spaces needed locally. The goal is to identify overlapping opportunities to implement green stormwater infrastructure and community placemaking simultaneously. Combined survey results for the four O-27 project communities are shown below.

 

I sincerely appreciated working for GTECH. The knowledge that I gained through the meetings, workshops, networking and social times will be something that I treasure and utilize in the future. It is so important to save our planet and improve the environment. My experience as a Liaison certainly made me think deeper about conservation, the “power” of rain (elements) and importance of “green” energy.Maria Searcy, Perry Hilltop Community Liaison

 

Where is the Woods Run / O-27 Sewershed?

The O-27/Woods Run sewershed is one of PWSA’s priority sewersheds in the Northside. It includes parts of Perry Hilltop, Marshall-Shadeland, Brighton Heights, and Observatory Hill. A sewershed is similar to a watershed – all stormwater and wastewater within one sewershed is collected in pipes and delivered to ALCOSAN’s system at the same location. To see a map of all of the sewersheds in ALCOSAN’s system, click here.