waterproof / impervious surfaces

Waterproof or Impervious Surfaces including roads, parking lots, rooftops, sidewalks, and driveways cannot infiltrate or soak up water. Instead, these surfaces act as a slide, allowing stormwater to quickly move across the landscape, capture surface pollutants, and flow into nearby waterways at levels and rates that harm water quality.

Click each photo below to learn how you can help capture and infiltrate stormwater before it can collect pollutants and harm local freshwater resources!

Examples of and resources for Green Infrastructure in Southeastern Wisconsin

City of Milwaukee Green Infrastructure Dashboard

The City of Milwaukee has created an interactive dashboard to visually display the data and impact of green infrastructure implemented as a part of the City’s Green Infrastructure Plan, since it’s adoption in 2019. The data is continually vetted and updated by the City and the Milwaukee Metropolitan Sewerage District (MMSD). Click here to view the Green Infrastructure Dashboard.

Fresh Coast Guardians

The Fresh Coast Resource Center (FCRC) helps southeastern Wisconsin improve the health of Lake Michigan through smart use of green infrastructure. The FCRC assists the community by providing the inspiration, education, and tools needed to create successful green infrastructure projects. Visit Green Infrastructure Strategies | FreshCoastGuardians.com to learn more.

Milwaukee Metropolitan Sewerage District Green Luminary ® Award

MMSD honors businesses, organizations, and communities that implement exceptional green infrastructure design projects within the MMSD service area with Green Luminary® awards. Check out www.mmsd.com/what-we-do/green-infrastructure/green-luminaries for short videos about these diverse projects— depending on the location you may even be able to see them in person.

Reflo Community Map

Reflo, a Milwaukee-based non-profit organization, catalogues green infrastructure sites around the city in their Milwaukee Community Map. You can visit many of them in person, and the rest you can see by zooming in on the map. See the maps at refloh2o.com/mcm-grid-of-web-maps .

Shorewood Water Walk

The Village of Shorewood has mapped out green infrastructure locations around the Village that you can visit. Check them out at www.villageofshorewood.org/800/Walk-Shorewood.