Low Impact Development (LID) is a sustainable storm water management strategy that is gaining rapid acceptance in the United States to meet regulatory compliance and resource protection goals and is practiced extensively in Europe. The increased use of LID is in response to burgeoning infrastructural costs of new development and redevelopment projects, more rigorous environmental regulations, concerns about the urban heat island effect, and the impacts of natural resources due to growth and development. The frequency of droughts and concern about water quality issues have also prompted interest in the treatment and the reuse of storm water as a viable resource and has resulted in a shift in the way planners, developers, architects, engineers, and the public approach the control of storm water and conservation of rainwater. Many municipalities across the nation have embraced LID due to its holistic approach to site design and overall sustainable design. There are countless examples of jurisdictions that have proactively revised their development policies, codes, growth and management plans and implemented LID technologies to manage storm water at its source and collect rainwater for secondary use. This course will provide an introduction to the concepts and technologies of low impact development, with an overview and emphasis on strategies for protecting and conserving water on site.

Upon completing this course, you will be able to:

• Understand the fundamentals of low impact development and their relationship to sustainable storm water management;
• Differentiate between the types of LID technologies;
• Determine how to apply low impact development strategies to a site design process for sustainable site design;
• Understand the benefits of different LID strategies; and
• Determine how to reduce water consumption and protect water quality on site.