Hosted by the International Biochar Initiative. Cost to non-members is $40.

Floods are occurring with ever more frequency and ferocity. The consequences of which are enormously costly both economically and environmentally. Stormwater management and green infrastructure (GI) are thus becoming an urgent priority across the globe as rural and urban areas struggle to adopt to the new climate conditions.

To many, the use of GI is a new sustainable approach to managing urban stormwater runoff, volumes and quality. GI manages stormwater runoff by using natural ecosystems and/or engineered systems that mimic natural systems. While GI offers many benefits, retrofitting existing urban infrastructure is still a complex and expensive endeavour.  Identifying approaches to squeeze more functionality out of existing approved GI practices has been the “Holy Grail” for the GI industry.  Biochar, while relatively new to the GI space is rapidly gaining interest among researchers and engineers as way to enhance the performance of natural and engineered systems.  Chuck Hegberg will discuss opportunities and benefits of integrating biochar into GI practices along with a number of project examples.

Dr. Marc Teixido, from University of California Berkeley, will discuss scientific findings from the National Science Foundation-funded Engineering Research Center called Reinventing the Nation’s Urban Water Infrastructure (ReNUWIt). Dr. Teixido interests include water quality and contaminant fate in natural and engineered systems, especially focusing on cost-effective systems able to integrate stormwater capture, treatment and groundwater recharge (CTR) to enhance local water security, flood control, and environmental protection. To overcome stormwater treatment traditional system limitations in contaminant removal, his research group has developed novel pilot-scale unit-process column CTR systems amended with biochar and manganese oxides for passive attenuation of trace organic contaminants and metals from stormwater. Their past and ongoing pilot studies are located across California, from Sonoma to Los Angeles, and being supported by multiple local partners.

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