Storm drains and pipes that collect stormwater and transfer this runoff to local waterways are gray infrastructure. In contrast, green infrastructure utilizes natural plantings and structures to capture, absorb, filter and/or reuse stormwater.
Storm drains and pipes that collect stormwater and transfer this runoff to local waterways are gray infrastructure. In contrast, green infrastructure utilizes natural plantings and structures to capture, absorb, filter and/or reuse stormwater.
Green infrastructure practices help to restore the natural water cycle which reduces droughts and prevents flooding.
Princeton now has several stormwater management ordinances designed to mitigate the stormwater impacts of new developments and redevelopment. Planning to add a garage or expand your kitchen? Additions of 400 square feet or more are required to implement select green infrastructure measures to store and manage the runoff created by this new impervious surface. Learn more with the Municipality’s infographic.
Want to learn more? Check out Rutger’s New Jersey Green Infrastructure Guidance Manual to learn more about each of these options.
Eager to see demonstration projects and learn who and how they were built? The Watershed Institute’s Green Infrastructure Atlas highlights numerous projects in Princeton and Hopewell, including rain gardens, green roofs, downspout planters, and more.
Interested in learning where our water comes from, what happens to it as it runs through town, and where it goes? Check out Princeton’s Water Story. Once you’ve done this, have fun playing with the Global River Runner to map the path a rain drop takes, anywhere in the world!
Sustainable Princeton is a non-partisan, non-profit organization in Princeton, NJ with a mission to inspire our community to develop and implement solutions that positively impact our environment. It’s our vision that Princeton be a model town that examines every action through the lens of sustainability ensuring a healthy environment, a strong economy, and the wellbeing of all community members now and in the future.
© 2023 Sustainable Princeton. All rights reserved.