On October 5, the Westmoreland Conservation District will sponsor a day-long bus tour with the theme, “Floods & Fixes.”

The event will take participants to sites in Greensburg and Murrysville that include both flood-prone areas and places that have installed innovative ways to capture, divert, and infiltrate stormwater.

Storms this past spring and summer caused flooding problems for communities, businesses, and homeowners throughout Western Pennsylvania. And although no one has yet found a way to control how much rain falls, there are things that can be done to manage rainfall in a way that lessens the likelihood and severity of flooding.

From rain barrels connected to home downspouts to manmade ponds that hold and slowly release rainwater, stormwater management comes in many shapes and sizes. But it all shares the same purpose – to keep rain close to where it falls, reducing how much runs off after a storm. And less runoff means less flooding.

An added benefit of the stormwater-management measures is that they also help reduce water pollution.

Stops on the tour include: the Murrysville Public Works Building, which features a sediment-control structure on a detention pond and control measures that prevent road-salt piles from contaminating Haymaker Run; Marquis Place, a residential development that features a minimum amount of paving and an innovative pond that keeps a permanent level of water at all times; a new parking lot in the City of Greensburg that uses landscaping, infiltration pavers, and large buried chambers to significantly reduce runoff; and the GreenForge building, which features the first green roof in Westmoreland County.

Financial and other support for this tour is provided by the Pennsylvania Association of Conservation Districts, through a grant from the Department of Environmental Protection under Section 319 of the Clean Water Act, administered by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

The tour boards and concludes at the Lamplighter Restaurant in Delmont. It is open to the public, but space is limited and registration is required. Interested individuals should contact the Westmoreland Conservation District at 724-837-5271 by September 28. Cost is $15, and includes a continental breakfast and lunch.

9/22/2007