Municipalities across the country have been challenged to take a more proactive approach to stormwater management. More specifically, federal regulations (NPDES Stormwater Phase II) require the owners of municipal stormwater systems to implement stormwater management plans that address six minimum control measures (Public education and Outreach; Public Involvement and Participation; Illicit Connections; Construction Site Runoff; Post Construction Site Runoff Control; Municipal Good Housekeeping and Pollution Prevention).

Most Rock Island neighborhoods are already fully developed. If stormwater management is going to improve in these older neighborhoods, the residents must be actively involved. The City was seeking a program that would educate residents about the importance of stormwater management and stimulate direct involvement. The Rain Gardens of Rock Island Program meets these goals. In addition, the rain gardens financed by the program reduce flooding, improve stormwater quality and beautify the neighborhoods.

Traditionally, pollution control and stormwater management are approached on a broad scale. Municipalities must continue to operate centralized water pollution control facilities, but this approach is not enough. Municipalities must also manage stormwater in a decentralized fashion. Rock Island’s stormwater management program includes the non-traditional approach of managing stormwater one property at a time.

Rock Island encourages its citizens to retain stormwater on their properties to reduce stress on the stormwater system. The Rain Gardens for Rock Island Program offers technical assistance, provides free rain barrels and pays property owners $4.00 per square foot of rain garden they install. The payment covers the average cost for a do-it-yourself rain garden. In addition, stormwater utility charges are reduced for citizens with rain gardens. The public has shown substantial interest in the program. In the program’s first summer (2005), the Public Works Department approved the construction of private rain gardens on twenty-five properties.

Total program benefits will depend upon citizen participation. Obviously, a couple rain gardens will make no measurable difference, but the impact of ten, twenty or a hundred gardens will be noticed. The City plans to invest $50,000/year in rain garden grants. The City is in the business of stormwater management for the long term and the program impact over time will be significant.

The program is cost-effective and the technology is 100% effective at reducing the volume of rainwater entering the stormwater system and removing contaminants, up to their storage capacity. No other technology suitable for urban retrofit situations has a comparable cost-effectiveness ratio. Moreover, no other technology so effectively achieves auxiliary benefits of neighborhood beautification, public education and public participation. For Rock Island, a decentralized approach to stormwater management is a great investment.

Any municipality could easily implement a rain gardens program in about six months if resources are available. Startup requires program-marketing materials, the construction of demonstration gardens and a speaking tour of neighborhood groups. All the program literature used in Rock Island is available at no cost to other municipalities.

The ongoing commitments include maintenance of the demonstration gardens, ongoing promotion of the program, funds for the rain garden grants and administrative support. The total labor commitment to the program is about one-half of a full time equivalent.

Startup costs included construction of demonstration gardens ($15K) and production/distribution of program literature ($5K). Annual costs include grants to rain garden builders ($50K), program administration ($15K), demonstration garden maintenance ($15K) and continued development/distribution of program literature ($2K). The Stormwater Utility pays all costs of the Rock Island program.

A rain gardens program is easy to implement. The only political hurdle is identification of a funding source for the program. This was not a problem in Rock Island because public education and public participation are among the primary purposes of the stormwater utility. Municipalities without stormwater utilities may not have a dedicated revenue sources, but they have the same goals as part of their federally required stormwater management plans.

The rain gardens program has only been in existence for a few months and it is already a major success for Rock Island. Success requires the commitment and enthusiasm of a part-time program administrator (0.25 full time equivalent) with strong people skills and the ability to communicate effectively with citizen groups.

Many Rock Island residents are gardening enthusiasts. A program that pays them to install new landscaping improvements sells itself. The Rock Island program has no opponents.

Robert Hawes, P.E., Assistant City Manager/Public Works Director
Robert Horton, P.E., Assistant City Engineer
Timothy Ridder, Assistant to the Public Works Director
Melody Miller, Rain Garden Program Administrator
Michelle Martin, Office Manager

Rock Island is a municipality of approximately 38,000 located in the Illinois Quad Cities approximately 175 miles west of Chicago.

John C. Phillips
City Manager
1528 3rd Avenue
Rock Island, Illinois 61201
(309) 732-2012

Robert Hawes, P.E.
Assistant City Manager/Public Works Director
1309 Mill Street
Rock Island, Illinois 61201
(309) 732-2239