Here in the city, most of the surfaces we come in contact with are impervious. Rooftops, sidewalks, roads, and parking lots – all covered by impenetrable materials such as asphalt, concrete, brick, and stone. These impervious surfaces repel water and negatively impact the environment by restricting groundwater recharge, generating large volumes of storm water, and degrading water quality.
These surfaces allow all types of pollutants to accumulate. And every time it rains, because these surfaces are impervious, the rainwater mixes with the pollution to create rancid storm water runoff and subsequently washes into water bodies, severely degrading water quality.
There is a solution. It’s called porous pavement. TerraFirm Enterprises produces porous pavement for the construction of overflow parking lots, driveways, sidewalks, pathways, and other public spaces. Porous pavement is designed to allow rainwater pass through paved areas, letting rain enter the watershed naturally while still providing a solid surface of support for people, vehicles, and other applications.
And porous pavement provides another very important benefit — the reduction of the “Heat Island Effect.” “The ‘Heat Island Effect’ is the phenomenon where urban and suburban temperatures are 1 to 6°C (2 to 10°F) hotter than surrounding rural areas. Heat islands form as cities replace natural land cover with pavement, buildings, and other infrastructure. The use of asphalt, concrete, paving and other impervious, manmade materials results in the absorption of the sun’s energy, rather then reflection which causes the surface and overall ambient temperatures to rise.”
You can learn more about porous pavement at http://www.terrafirmenterprises.com
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