Permeable pavement, such as pavers, porous surfaces made of asphalt or concrete and recycled glass/stone combination, help prevent flooding because they allow rain water to infiltrate into the ground to reduce stormwater runoff, recharge groundwater and protect water quality.
Brightside has pavers in front of our office in the Silva Cell area as well as a paver walkway along the edge of the porous concrete parking lot. Behind the building, the parking lot features a side-by-side demonstration of asphalt and concrete porous surfaces.
![Permeable Pavement Recycled Glass](https://www.brightsidestl.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/permeable-pavement-recycled-glass.jpg)
The pathway through the garden features a combination of 20% post-consumer recycled glass beverage containers and 80% crushed river rock from the Osage. Every square foot includes 18 recycled bottles in a variety of colors which are tumbled prior to installation to reduce sharp edges. Over 16,500 recycled glass bottles are part of Brightside’s Filterpave pathway through the garden.
Brightside’s garden is the first location in the St. Louis region to feature this porous pavement. Using recycled materials keeps valuable resources out of the landfill plus reduces the need to extract raw materials from the earth.
Over 8,000 square feet of impervious surface was removed from the garden and parking areas and was replaced with permeable pavement. Funding for this initiative was provided through a grant from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Region 7, through the Missouri Department of Natural Resources, under Section 319 of the Clean Water Act.
![Permeable Pavement](https://www.brightsidestl.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/permeable-pavement.jpg)
Use Porous Surfaces at Home
You can replace the impervious surfaces at home with porous surfaces. Pavers with spaces between the bricks allow water to filter through to reach the ground below to recharge ground water. If you are replacing a patio, driveway or parking pad, consider porous concrete, asphalt or recycled glass/rock pavement. These types of permeable pavement prevent stormwater runoff and help filter out pollutants.
SEE IT AT THE DEMO GARDENResources
Learn more about recycled glass and locally-sourced rock porous pavement.
The Low-Impact Development Center, Inc.’s Urban Design Tools website is a great resource for information on low-impact development and a cost guide for permeable pavements.
See what MSD has to say about permeable pavement as a best management practice to manage storm water.
Lots of helpful information about permeable surfaces and storm water management plus a list of resources at the bottom.
East-West Gateway Council of Governments explores St. Louis rainscaping projects.
EPA shares Tools, Strategies and Lessons Learned from EPA Green Infrastructure Technical Assistance Projects.
See what other communities are doing with permeable pavement: