Bridging the Gap Between Commitment and Implementation: Strategies for Incorporating Principles of Social Equity and Environmental Justice in Wet Weather Planning

Bridging the Gap Between Commitment and Implementation: Strategies for Incorporating Principles of Social Equity and Environmental Justice in Wet Weather PlanningAbstractHistorically, vulnerable communities have experienced water stress at disproportionally high levels compared to their more privileged counterparts. As such, utilities and local governments are becoming increasingly self-reflective about the need to more fairly serve their customers and rectify past inequities through strategic social impact policies, programs, and projects. Commitment to improving issues related to environmental justice (EJ) and equity in socially vulnerable areas is a first key step. But how do you implement this commitment? For example, what EJ and equity criterion should be used to aid with the selection and prioritization of wet weather infrastructure? And how can these criterion be incorporated into other aspects of project prioritization such as community impacts / co-benefits, constructability challenges, operation and maintenance considerations, etc.? This presentation will provide specific wet weather planning case studies where EJ and equity tools were applied to incorporate principles of EJ and equity in the prioritization and selection of wet weather infrastructure projects, ranging from Green Stormwater Infrastructure (GSI) to CSO storage basins and tunnels. Tools presented will include EPA's EJ Screen, CDC's Social Vulnerability Index (CVI), The Trust for Public Land's Parkserve , among others. Subtle differences in how these criteria get applied, depending on the type of wet weather practice, will also be discussed. For example, GSI often provides a community benefit and must be evaluated differently than projects with a negative perception, such as an above-ground wastewater storage tank. Lastly, the presentation will provide examples to show how EJ and equity criteria are balanced with other decision-support criteria that make up a triple-bottom-line approach.This paper was presented at the WEF Collection Systems and Stormwater Conference, April 9-12, 2024.SpeakerRogne, BryanPresentation time14:00:0014:30:00Session time13:30:0016:45:00SessionWorkforce Development, Recruitment, and Community CollaborationSession number22Session locationConnecticut Convention Center, Hartford, ConnecticutTopicCombined Sewer Overflow, Community Engagement, Consent Orders, Cultural Change, Environmental Injustice, Environmental, Social, and governance, Equity, Flooding, Green Infrastructure, Public Education/Information/Communication, Stakeholder Engagement, Sustainability And Social Responsibility, Triple Bottom Line Plus, Wet Weather, Workforce Issues / Professional DevelopmentTopicCombined Sewer Overflow, Community Engagement, Consent Orders, Cultural Change, Environmental Injustice, Environmental, Social, and governance, Equity, Flooding, Green Infrastructure, Public Education/Information/Communication, Stakeholder Engagement, Sustainability And Social Responsibility, Triple Bottom Line Plus, Wet Weather, Workforce Issues / Professional DevelopmentAuthor(s)Rogne, BryanAuthor(s)B. Rogne1Author affiliation(s)Brown and Caldwell 1SourceProceedings of the Water Environment FederationDocument typeConference PaperPublisherWater Environment FederationPrint publication date Apr 2024DOI10.2175/193864718825159372Volume / Issue Content sourceCollection Systems and Stormwater ConferenceCopyright2024Word count22