Metro
503-797-1700503-797-1804 TDD
503-797-1797 fax
Pervious surfaces
Sustainable living › Home improvement › Pervious surfaces
Drain the rain. Pervious surfaces, like pervious pavement or pavers, allow rainwater to pass through them and soak into the ground instead of flowing into storm drains. Result: healthier urban waterways.
The challenge
In cities, rain runs off hard surfaces like streets, patios and driveways and picks up chemicals, litter, bacteria, oil and other pollutants. When polluted rainwater (also called stormwater runoff) drains into our sewer system, streams and rivers it creates a health hazard for people, wildlife, salmon and the rest of the environment.
A nature-friendly solution
Using pervious pavers, pavement or material for patios, walkways, driveways and parking areas allows rainwater to soak into the ground before it becomes polluted stormwater runoff and flows into sewers and storm drains. Result: healthier urban waterways.
The benefits of pervious materials
The biggest advantage to using pervious pavers, pavement or materials instead of traditional asphalt or concrete is this practice improves water quality and protects wildlife habitat by reducing the amount of polluted stormwater runoff that enters sewers, streams and rivers.
Other benefits include:
- reduced heat island effect
- improved durability
- greater flexibility in design and installation
- natural water pollution removal by soils and plants
- stormwater treatment areas may be reduced or eliminated, allowing other land uses
- groundwater and aquifers are replenished
- flash flooding is reduced.
Types of pervious materials
Pervious concrete
Pervious asphalt
Permeable pavement
Concrete with fly ash
Permeable pavers
Recycled glass pavers
Salvaged clay bricks
Salvaged stone
Wood Chips
Nutshells
Tumbled glass
Resources
- Landscape materials: healthy homes for a healthy environment.
City of Seattle
Ideas, designs and options for pervious surface materials and projects - Pervious surface factsheets
City of Portland
Definitions, benefits, maintenance, costs and local examples - Slow the Flow
Clean Water Services
The Rain Runs Through It: Porous pavement and the landscape designs in the Tualatin River watershed brochure
NEEd Assistance?
Corie Harlan
503-797-1764
corie.harlan@oregonmetro.gov
Related Links
Green from the Ground Up
Discover seminars for land-savvy building professionals.
Integrating Habitats: Creating healthy homes for people, fish and wildlife
What began as a Nature in Neighborhoods design competition has morphed into a movement! Integrating Habitats' design principles, images and ideas show how our cities, buildings and backyards can improve water quality and provide valuable wildlife habitat.