Penn State to Survey Local Governments to Assess COVID-19 Impacts on Stormwater

Penn State Extension invites all individuals who perform stormwater work for local governments, or other permitted stormwater entities, to participate in a brief academic survey designed to assess the impacts of COVID-19 on local stormwater activities and budgets. Survey findings will be used by Penn State faculty and Extension educators to determine what resources are most needed during and after the coronavirus pandemic to achieve local runoff management goals and, if applicable, MS4 compliance. Anyone who is employed by a municipality either directly, or as part of a subcontract, and performs duties related to runoff management is encouraged to take the online survey.

This survey is part of Penn State University's Living Lab Project which is an interdisciplinary effort to support and expand the application of green stormwater infrastructure or GSI, across Pennsylvania. This effort leverages the expertise of faculty researchers, engineers and community educators from several Penn State campuses and Extension offices located across the Commonwealth to study the performance of GSI practices and the way they are being received by the communities in which they are located. The term "living lab" refers to the way GSI relies on vegetation and soil to increase stormwater infiltration and pollutant removal. The living lab project hopes this work will lead to a better understanding about how GSI can be installed successfully in Pennsylvania.

The COVID-19 impacts on stormwater management survey contains 11 questions and takes approximately 10 minutes to complete.  Responses will be kept confidential. Anyone who completes the survey can check a box to receive a report summarizing the findings. These reports will be available after the study is completed later this year. The principal investigator for this project is Dr. Hong Wu, Assistant Professor of Landscape Architecture at The Pennsylvania State University. Dr. Wu can be reached with questions at huw24@psu.edu or 814-863-5284.