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Q&A
Cost and effectiveness of bioswales and rain gardens
0:33:11
·
57 sec
Council Member Holden inquires about the average cost of installing bioswales or rain gardens. Deputy Commissioner Licata reveals that it costs between $15,000 to $20,000 per installation.
- Licata emphasizes that green infrastructure is currently their most cost-effective CSO (Combined Sewer Overflow) strategy.
- She mentions that while gray infrastructure investments were made in the past, their costs have escalated, making green infrastructure more economical now.
Robert F. Holden
0:33:11
Just a couple of questions, and I don't think I have to be brief now, so I can I can go on?
0:33:21
The average cost of installing a bioswale or a rain garden, what is that?
0:33:24
Because I asked another question and I didn't get an answer at another hearing.
0:33:28
Do you have that?
Angela Licata
0:33:29
It's about $20,000
Robert F. Holden
0:33:31
The average cost?
Angela Licata
0:33:32
Yeah.
0:33:32
It's somewhere between 15,000 and $20,000 And one other important point is that our green infrastructure program is generally our most cost effective CSO strategy at this point in time.
0:33:46
There were time in the past decades when we invested a lot in gray infrastructure, including combined sewer overflow holding tanks, but those costs have escalated, and the economy of scale that we achieved is no longer available.
0:34:03
So the green infrastructure that we're installing now is among the most cost effective.