One often overlooked aspect of a new landscape project is the drainage system. This oversight can become time consuming in the event of a call-back, but it can also be costly. Damage to a building is a real possibility when excess irrigation and stormwater become more than a nuisance. Landscape drainage can control potential damage; damage that can be as minor as a yellow lawn spot or as extensive as the building's foundation. Erosion of a landscaped area can also destroy the aesthetic value that your customer expects, and that reflects both on you and your business. In other words, not planning the drainage system as an integral part of a landscape project can cost you referrals and your reputation. Using a "problem-solution" format to explain the importance of an adequate drainage system is usually a good place to start. For example, foundation damage that can occur from water accumulation is easily communicated to property owners by using problem-solution photos. When initially looking over the prospective project, study the topography. Note the high and low spots; soil porosity, tree roots, vegetation and surrounding topography that can shed water onto your project. Now, just when you begin to understand drainage systems, along come new regulations governing stormwater runoff and mandated erosion control measures. Add to this confusing new terminologies and your customer can quickly become frustrated. However, by learning some of the basics, this is an opportunity to come to the rescue and provide value-added services to distinguish your landscape business. The new regulations have created the need, now you can respond by adding more drainage and erosion control work to your landscape jobs and effectively grow your overall business. The Need for Drainage, Problem-Solution "Long term value is more important than a quick fix" says Mike Fallon, NDS vice president. Jobs where only upfront costs are considered can lead to scaled back or low cost drainage systems being installed. Unfortunately this low cost solution eventually proves inadequate, usually in wet weather when damage is likely to occur. Common problems resulting from inadequate drainage include: * downspout flooding damaging landscaped areas and plants; * flooding in low areas and walkways; * excessive water runoff from hardscaped and driveway areas; * water accumulation damaging foundations; * dangers from mold growth inside damp exterior walls. Avoid landscape additions that change the grade or interfere with drainage away from the building. For example, edging, borders, or walkways can dam water up against the foundation. Also, take note of existing downspouts that spill stormwater runoff against foundations. Proper drainage mandates carrying this runoff away from the building. A 9 or 12-inch catch basin below the downspout elbow is recommended; pipe the catch basin to a far-off discharge point at least 10 feet away. Connecting the downspout elbow directly to a discharge pipe is never recommended since the flow cannot be visually monitored. A downspout clogged with leaves can backup, split in freezing weather and contribute to ice damming or significant roof damage. In areas not prone to freezing, a clogged downspout will cause rain gutters to overflow, spilling water to the foundation. Besides foundation damage, water runoff lapping at the foundation allows moisture to seep into walls and can promote mold problems. Effective drainage of stormwater runoff is an important preventative measure. Adding comprehensive drainage systems to your landscape jobs can help business grow. New Federal Regulations Any runoff collected by the drainage system ultimately has to be discharged. In 2003 new federal stormwater runoff regulations went into affect impacting all construction activity disturbing between one to five acres. Known as the Phase II rule, it is an extension of the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) stormwater program implemented by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Simply put, the new stormwater regulations are about capturing and treating non-point source pollution and are designed to eliminate the discharge of pollutants into America's waters. The impact of the NPDES Phase II rule is far-reaching and includes any method of conveying surface water, including streets, gutters, ditches, swales, or any other manmade structure that alters and/or directs wet-weather flows. These regulations impact: * construction site runoff; * post-construction site runoff. Thus most stormwater drainage from one to five acre sites is covered and needs a NPDES permit backed by comprehensive stormwater management plans utilizing BMPs to handle the runoff. Numerous contractors, developers and municipalities are impacted by this for the first time. BMPs and Landscape Design Controlling excessive amounts of silt in the runoff is of primary concern. NPDES permits for stormwater discharge for construction sites, for example, require the implementation of Best Management Practices (BMP) at that site. Landscaping a newly graded area or a large landscape renovation project are impacted by these requirements. * Although the range of possible BMPs can be exhaustive, two general categories are particularly applicable to landscape design: runoff control and erosion control. Below are only some of the popular BMP solutions used in landscape design. Runoff Control BMP - Stabilize Drainage Ways Grass lined swales offer a stable channel for drainage and stormwater runoff. The grass lining slows the flow velocity of runoff water. This provides an excellent medium for filtering silt in the runoff water. After all, the EPA states that sod has been shown to remove up to 99% of total suspended solids in stormwater runoff!1 Though not designed to handle peak flows, grass lined swales are used in combination with other BMPs to meet the stormwater permit requirements. Grass lined swales are best for areas with less than five percent slope, with highly erodible soils, and where flow rates are under five feet per second.2 It is recommended that the entire channel be lined with a tough, honeycombed plastic grass paver prior to seeding or sodding; this helps anchor the vegetation and provides an extra measure of erosion control. Selecting a honeycombed plastic grasspaver with the maximum amount of open space in the base of each cell is important; this promotes a healthier root base and allows for more oxygen, nutrient, and water exchange to the root zone. Grass-lined swales are normally built around the perimeter of a construction site to convey relatively clean stormwater runoff. However, they can be permanently left in place as a postconstruction site runoff solution too. This is more economical to maintain in the long run than other BMP solutions using expensive filtering devices that need maintenance and filter replacements. Erosion Control BMP - Stabilize Exposed Soils Covering exposed soil with grass is an erosion control BMP. Jobs particularly suited to sod stabilization are: * waterways and channels carrying intermittent flow; * areas around drainage grates that require stabilization; * steeply-sloped areas; * residential or commercial lawns and golf courses requiring prompt use and aesthetics. Grass paving is a popular option that offers the aesthetic of grass in areas designated for vehicular traffic; it gives support comparable to asphalt and concrete roadways. For example, grass paving is widely used for commercial firelanes to provide access for fully loaded fire trucks. Tough, honeycombed cell, plastic grass pavers are ideal for this use. However, grass paving is also used for light to moderate weight traffic too, including: * golf cart paths * service roads * jogging tracks * bike paths * roadway shoulders * residential driveways * parking lots * overflow parking area * RV and boat parking * truck & cart wash-down areas Grass paving, a form of porous paving, dramatically reduces stormwater runoff when compared to impervious asphalt or concrete surfaces. Thus, grass paving is an effective BMP that simplifies meeting the NPDES permit regulations. The BMPs refer to grass pavers as turf reinforcement mats (TRM), defined as a "synthetic material that forms a high-strength mat that helps prevent erosion in drainage areas."3 Unlike temporary erosion control products, grass pavers are designed to stay in place permanently to enhance the natural ability of vegetation to permanently protect erodible soils. Benefits of using a tough, honeycombed cell plastic grass paver include: reduces stormwater runoff compared to asphalt or concrete paving; naturally cleans oil and gas contaminants from runoff using microbes found in native soils; stabilizes areas that cannot be vegetated by seed; easy to install and relatively minimal maintenance requirements. When evaluating different plastic grass pavers for project use, always verify that a fair load rating comparison is being made between competing products. Ensure that manufactures' load rating claims being compared are for empty cells (not filled cells) for each of the grass pavers. This gives a fair apples-to-apples comparison. In most cases, the cost of grass pavers is competitive with asphalt paving. The following points can help you win a job that could have gone to asphalt paving: * Grass paved areas have lower maintenance costs than asphalt (sealing and resurfacing costs). Additionally, the lower grass paver maintenance costs become a new revenue stream for landscape contractors (mowing and fertilizing) rather than going to paving contractors. * There are stormwater management savings compared to asphalt paving. Depending upon the porosity of the subsoil, a grass paved area may not require the extensive stormwater drainage system required if the same area was covered with asphalt. * Generally, porous grass paving helps water percolate into the subsoil to beneficially replenish the water table levels. In short, adding grass paving to your landscape jobs satisfies many stormwater BMPs and can help grow your overall business. About the author: Known for his creative, innovative and entrepreneurial style, Jeffrey B. Tyler has extensive marketing and business development experience in the drainage, landscape and plumbing industries working for NDS, Black & Decker and IdeationPro. NDS offers a wide range of drainage products, landscape products, fittings, valve and meter boxes, equipment pads and drip and micro irrigation products. NDS is headquartered in Woodland Hills, CA. NDS offers a complete line of products from six regional warehouses in the U.S. and one in Puerto Rico. Endnotes 1 U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, NPDES BMP Fact Sheet: Sodding 2003. 2 U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, NPDES BMP Fact Sheet: Grass Lined Channels 2003. 3 U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, NPDES BMP Fact Sheet: Turf Reinforcement Mats 1999.