Permeable Walkways and Driveways

Water runoff after a rain or snow storm is area where a lot of improvements can be made. If some of that water is absorbed into the ground instead of running down the road it has many benefits. For instance the water going through the ground will be purified through the dirt as opposed to the water that runs down a driveway through oil and other chemicals. It also helps to better balance the water table and promote a healthy eco system. There are a couple of alternatives out there that have become more popular in recent years.
Today we are starting to see some driveways and more walkways made from individual pavers as opposed to being one large continuous slab. By having many stones, pavers, or smaller slabs to form the walkway or driveway this permits the water to seep into the ground right away.

Some of the problems associated with water runoff is the potential for flash flooding. So little of the water that hits the streets, sidewalks, and walkways gets absorbed into the ground that it all gets funneled to the same streams, brooks and rivers in a very quick time span. If this all happens quick enough flooding can occur which can damage other structures or ecosystems. I know by me one low lying bridge gets inundated with water a couple times a year. They just replaced it so we will see if that is better in the future. That does not fix the underlying reason for the floods around that bridge. There is a side walk that during heavy rain storms that also appears to look like a small river on those days. All the rain runoff is just from a condo complex but enough water comes from there to make the entire sidewalk impassable.

The next problem with water runoff is the chemicals and oils they transport long distances. Normally a lot these chemicals would get absorbed into the ground but during a storm these are all carried down streets into sewers than out to streams, where eventually it ends up in our drinking water system. This also harms wildlife as animals will drink from the contaminated streams.

The best solution for people with walkways or driveways is to consider installing permeable materials. One of the more popular solutions is using pavers as they will have gaps that allow water to drain through. These are relatively easy to install and come in many shapes and sizes so that it will keep your houses curb appeal.

There are also some permeable pavers and concrete available on the market. These blocks will have some sand or dirt in them. These will also lesson the amount of heat stored versus a concrete or paved driveway. Another option is a pervious pavement which is basically like normally concrete but without the sand. This allows it to have many holes in it to drain water through. This option is recommended by the EPA and other organizations to deal with storm water runoff.