EP Henry Brings You:

Stormwater Management 101

What are impervious surfaces?
Impervious surfaces are paved or hardened surfaces that do not allow water to pass through them. Asphalt roads, rooftops, and parking lots are all impervious surfaces. As more land is covered by impervious surfaces, more polluted runoff enters our rivers, streams, and oceans.

How are impervious surfaces a pressure on our natural water resources?
Impervious surfaces that replace native, vegetated areas do not allow precipitation to soak into the soil. Instead, water runs off the hardened surfaces and
into sewers, rivers, streams, and oceans. As water runs across impervious surfaces, it picks up pollutants like nitrogen, phosphorus, and chemical contaminants that can harm aquatic life, as well as our drinking water supply.

What can we do?
There are a variety of products and best practices out there that can help mitigate stormwater runoff. As concerns about water quality and storm water management grow, townships, builders, and concerned citizens are turning to Permeable Interlocking Concrete Pavement systems (PICPs)
for new and retrofit construction projects. In fact, some municipal agencies offer great incentives for homeowners to reduce their home’s storm water runoff - including 10% tax credits, rain barrels, and even reduced water rates. Likewise, many counties and municipalities now require that all new construction projects, including Hardscaping, eliminate storm water runoff entirely. So be sure to know the facts before starting your next project.

Doing our part with EP Henry ECO^™ Pavers
For our part, EP Henry has expanded our ECO^™ line of permeable pavers — which allow water to infiltrate back to the subsoil — with the addition of ECO Cobble^™ and Coventry^® ECO Cobble^™. Available in multiple colors, sizes, textures, and patterns, EP Henry’s ECO line brings beauty and function to sustainable design.