Part 1 Triple Bottom Line | Planet, People, and Profit
Presenter | Lisa Peterson, PhD, PE | Aftan Engineering

Part 1 will address the topic of sustainability as noted in the NSPE code of ethics professional obligations, including planet, people and profit or the triple bottom line. The Life Cycle Assessment methodology will be explained as a tool for assessing environmental impact, and Life Cycle Costing methodology for the comparable assessment on the financial side. A deep dive into comparison of 4 stormwater management solutions at a commercial development site in rural PA will be used as an example of how life cycle costing and life cycle assessment can be used to support sustainable decision making. The next presentation will take a deep dive into floodplain restoration as a stormwater management solution, which was 1 of the 4 stormwater management solutions analyzed.

Learning Objectives

• Sustainability includes consideration for planet, people and profit
• The NSPE Code of Ethics, Professional Obligations, includes language about the importance of engineers to consider sustainability development
• Life cycle costing and life cycle assessment are methodologies to support environmental and financial assessment of designs from cradle to grave
• The steps of the life cycle assessment methodology
• An example of an LCA and LCC study comparing 4 stormwater management solutions for a commercial development site in Lancaster County, PA.

Part 2 Economic and Ecological Benefits of Floodplain Restoration as a Stormwater Management Strategy
Presenter | Ben Ehrhart, PE, CFM | LandStudies, Inc

Part 2 will review the beneficial functions of natural floodplains, particularly with regard to peak attenuation, volume reduction, and water quality improvement. Current anthropogenic impairments will be discussed in the context of how these impairments limit the previously mentioned beneficial functions. Specific emphasis will be on legacy sediment. Restoration design approach and specific functions that address stormwater management requirements will be discussed. Case studies will be presented showing floodplain restoration projects that have successfully met stormwater management requirements associated with land development projects while providing significant ecological uplift and other community benefits. The case studies include post-construction monitoring data validating their performance. Economic advantages, and ancillary benefits will also be discussed.

Learning Objectives

• Beneficial functions of natural floodplains and the impairments that prevent these functions from being realized
• Floodplain restoration design approach, and how this restores lost stormwater function
• Demonstration of private dollars funding ecological restoration projects with real economic value
• Water quality benefits of floodplain restoration and how these projects can be leveraged to meet water quality goals at a low cost to the public.

Member Fee: $30 | Non Member Fee $60
2 PDH (pending approval)

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