Encourage use of permeable paving

To the editor:

Our city has gone through one major flood and we don't want another. Our rivers and streams have poor water quality, but we want them to improve. There is a step that we can take in order to both reduce the chances of flooding while improving the waterways. Cedar Rapids should encourage greater use of permeable paving.

Unlike most hard surfaces which cause water to run off, dumping polluted surges of water to be washed away, permeable paving allows water to seep into the ground.

The soil filters the pollutants and the water gradually flows into the streams, preventing flash flooding during the rain and boosting water flows in later drier times. With fewer pollutants flowing in off streets and parking lots and also fewer sediments from erosion during floods, water quality improves. This can be done from the small scale of residential driveways up to parking lots and streets.

Examples of larger scale projects can be seen in the city of West Union, where their entire downtown was resurfaced to permeable paving. It need not happen all at once, but be gradually phased in as areas are repaved. While a little more expensive initially, when considering the benefits and potential costs of further flooding, it is far more cost effective than continuing our current impervious path.

Amy Collette

Cedar Rapids