Villebois – Rainwater Management Plan Part Trois (French for Three)

Design and Mechanics

Funding

The Villebois Rainwater Management Program (RMP) contains funding supported by two grants.  Collectively, the grant money and private resources make this a $1.1 Million Project.  Portions of this project include designing and implementing innovative rainwater management techniques, testing and monitoring these techniques, and education.  Overall, the federal money that has been granted allows Villebois to go beyond a system that is sustainable and aesthetically beneficial to the surrounding community.

Rainwater Methods

Utilizing a variety of innovative approaches to rainwater management will help the environment and will also enhance the aesthetic value of the community.  For these reasons, a variety of different methods will be used to manage rainwater within Villebois.  These methods include mitigation ponds, porous pavers and pavement, bio-retention cells, and experimental parcels of green roofing.

Ponds:

A large portion of the rainwater from the Village Center will be managed through a series of ponds along the 20-acre Villebois Greenway.  These year-round ponds are engineered to hold and release rainwater at a natural rate to remove pollutants, thereby improving water quality.  This system is able to hold and filter rainwater from the Village Center and neighborhoods within Villebois.

How it works:

Rainwater from surfaces such as streets, roofs, and sidewalks is first directed into a bio-swale, a natural area designed to receive and disperse rainwater.  It is here where soil and

plants cleanse the rainwater. As more rainwater is directed toward the swale, the bio-swale overflows and rainwater is allowed to flow into the neighboring pond system.  It is then directed across the pond and into an area called an infiltration bed where it is allowed to seep into the soil at its natural rate and quality.

Pavers:

The next largest portion of rainwater will be managed through sets of porous pavers.  Pavers are considered alternatives to conventional pavement.  They work just as well as pavement, but are able to filter large portions of water through unique openings where water is allowed to penetrate soil.  Porous pavers are environmentally superior to pavement by allowing water to enter the soil naturally and they reflect sunlight allowing the surface to stay cooler during the summer months.  In addition, pavers add an attractive look that cannot be achieved though conventional pavement.

Bio-retention cells (example – planter boxes):

This component is a method that keeps runoff in the soil allowing plants to remove pollutants from contaminated rainwater.  This is similar to other methods that use plants and soils as a way to treat water runoff from pavement and roofs.

Porous pavement:

Concrete and asphalt that contain “pores” allow rainwater to pass through small openings in the surface.  This allows runoff to soak into a rainwater treatment area below the surface where it is treated for water quality and quantity.

Experimental parcels of green roof:

Green roofs (also known as eco-roofs) help lower the amount of runoff from rooftops.  Tar and roof shingles are replaced with soil and plants.   Instead of rainwater rushing off of the roof, green roofs allow water to soak into the soil atop the roof as it would in a natural setting.  Plants and shrubs are a key component of this method to help hold and clean the rainwater.  Green roofs also allow buildings to remain cooler in the summer months by using soil and plants, which act like buffers between the hot summer sun and the building below.

To learn more about the Villebois or its sustainable development and building practices in Wilsonville, Oregon, please visit ChangeHowYouLive.com. You may also speak with Costa Pacific Homes New Home Specialist Andy Green by calling 866.580.2836 or emailing Blog@CostaPacific.com.