While the "Big Pipe" project will dramatically reduce these overflows, it will not completely control them. So, part of the solution is reducing runoff from homes.
Clean River Rewards is an incentive for Portland homeowners to do just that – by disconnecting their downspouts from the combined sewer system, homeowners get a discount on their quarterly water bill. After a disconnect, rainwater is routed away from a foundation and into a rain garden, which is planted with moisture-loving plants and allows roof runoff to seep naturally into the ground. Rain gardens make your yard more attractive while building urban ecological health.
The discount applies to the Stormwater portion of your quarterly water bill. Typical savings are about $21.00 per household each quarter. Once the required downspout adjustments and landscaping additions are done, homeowners can easily register online (or by mail) and see savings of about $84 annually. These projects pay for themselves in short order and truly help make a home greener.
In one recent Downspout Disconnect project, City Steward combined reclaimed bricks, a copper rain chain, and native plants in a rain garden design, adding an attractive and watershed-friendly element to a home.
