Nature-Based Solutions: Making Every Drop Count in Public Works

Public works agencies are facing a perfect storm: aging grey infrastructure, growing stormwater volumes, constrained capital budgets, and community demand for greener, more livable streetscapes. This presentation explores how NBS—specifically rain gardens and bioswales—are emerging as integral components of modern public works infrastructure. The session begins by introducing what constitutes a nature-based solution, how rain gardens and bioswales function (capture, attenuate, dewater, clean runoff), and why they represent a viable alternative to oversized piped systems and exorbitant conventional infrastructure. In the Houston, Texas region—a flat terrain, deep sewer systems, frequent heavy rain events—municipalities have turned to NBS to reduce reliance on traditional grey approaches and achieve community placemaking goals.

Drawing from real-world projects, we’ll walk through design, implementation, outcomes, and lessons learned. These case studies highlight both the benefits and the perceived drawbacks of NBS. Attendees will gain concrete takeaways: key decision points for selecting and sizing rain gardens/bioswales; typical performance benchmarks; the importance of siting, media design, overflow provisions; how to engage stakeholders and calibrate maintenance regimes; plus strategies to align NBS with placemaking goals. We will also discuss how to build internal support for NBS as infrastructure rather than an aesthetic add-on.

• Define and distinguish nature-based solutions (NBS) such as rain gardens and bioswales within the context of public works stormwater infrastructure.
• Apply key design and implementation strategies to integrate these systems into urban corridors, improving stormwater performance and community livability.
• Evaluate lessons learned from real-world Houston case studies to identify the benefits, limitations, and maintenance considerations of nature-based solutions.