Infrastructure Solution Services

Infrastructure Solution Services (ISS) is the region's premier stormwater solution resource. Fom the initial inspection through the design/build phases and ongoing maintenance, ISS has created an innovative, sustainable system that promotes green initiatives and advocates "saving the environment one acre at a time."

Peter Burns, president of ISS, started the company seven years ago after becoming increasingly concerned about environmental effects or stormwater runoff. "Not only is it polluting our waterways and destroying valuable aquatic habitats, it also contributes to combine sewer overflows in many metropolitan areas," he says.

The need was urgent. "It's certainly important that we do all we can by collecting runoff in rain barrels or installing rain gardens on our properties, but the stormwater runoff crisis - locally and globally - requires management on a much larger scale," he says. He wanted an effective stormwater infrastructure system.

Today, ISS has a full design and engineering staff, multiple construction crews in the field, and a maintenance company with the sole emphasis of ensuring its stormwater management system functions at peal performance. ISS is also adding a financing division, which will work with municipal and utility authorities to enhance the cost effectiveness of infrastructure projects.

Triumph in Philadelphia - When municipalities and cities searcg for effective stormwater runoff solutions, they turn to ISS. Burns says ISS asks many questions: "What designs manage the most runoff within the limitations of an urban setting? How can available funding be maximized? How can private participation be secured to reduce long-term maintenance costs? Is there a roadmap for meeting and exceeding regulatory requirements or overcoming hurdles to set up a stormwater utility?"

This approach led ISS to Philadelphia. "The key to our success in Philadelphia has been our ability to catalyze low-cost green-infrastructure retrofits on private properties on an unprecedented scale - and that's just one piece of our business," says Burns. "We did it by listening closely to the concerns of the Philadelphia Water Department (PWD) and property owners to define their needs and chart a path to help them achieve their respective goals. What resulted was a business model that grosses maximum 'greened' acres at the lowest possible cost and incorporates a mutually economically beneficial long-term public and private partnership."

"Without giving away all our secrets, part of what works for us is being a turnkey operation - we have engineering, construction, maintenance and financing strategies in-house. We pool those resources and run very leanly," explains Burns. "Second, we have been able to aggregate properties so we can charge a flat rate per acre. No one is doing what we're doing."

Effective and green - ISS is always concentrating on environmental issues. "Stormwater can't infiltrate the way it used to because our cities are now more gray than green," says Burns. "Runoff from rooftops and parking lots is overburdening the current infrastructure. We need effective stormwater infrastructure systems designed specifically to capture and manage that runoff."

Regional Stormwater Management Programs (SMP) allow private multiple property owners and right-of-way stormwater runoff to tie into a shared facility, says Burns. "By sharing this regional SMP, the design and construction costs are greatly reduced, while the economic value for [Philadelphia] is increased." Maintenance expenses are also lower than for multiple SMPs. ISS is currently completing a regional facility that manages about 90 impervious acres for 28 properties - all on the same street. "The facility is made up of two lush bio-infiltration basin planting beds. Magnificent," he says.

As the largest Greened Acre Retrofit Program grant recipient, which financially rewards local business entities for retrofitting properties to divert stormwater from storm and wastewater systems, ISS is helping Philadelphia achieve its "Green City, Clean Waters" program goals. This year alone, they'll deliver nearly 150 greened acres, many of which are managed by vegetative infiltration basins and carefully selected indigenous plantings. "It's not always possible to employ green strategies due to the limitations of a property or project, but green infrastructure is always our target," says Burns.

ISS is greateful for the platfor PWD has provided. "We're proud of what we've accomplished. At the same time, we're very much looking forward to using our stormwater infrastructure business model to help other municipalities and cities around the world," says Burns.