Permeable Pavement

Overview

Permeable pavement allows for the absorption and infiltration of rainwater and snow melt onsite. There are several different names that refer to types of permeable pavement, including pervious or porous concrete, porous asphalt and interlocking permeable pavers.

Additional Information

• Pervious P​avement

  Pervious concrete pavement is a unique and effective means to address important environmental issues and support green, sustainable growth.

• Pervious Concrete

  Brochure that provides an overview of pervious concrete and how it can be used for stormwater management. It contains good diagrams of pervious pavements. Published by the American Concrete Pavement Association.

Reduces Stormwater Runoff

• Permeable pavement reduces surface runoff volumes and rates by allowing stormwater to infiltrate underlying soils.
• By reducing runoff volumes and rates, permeable pavement can lower water treatment costs and reduce flooding and erosion.

Increases Groundwater Recharge

• By allowing rainfall to infiltrate, permeable pavement can help increase groundwater recharge.

Reduces Salt Use

• Permeable pavement has been demonstrated to substantially delay the formation of a frost layer in winter climates, which mitigates the need for salt use. By reducing the need for salt, communities are able to save money and reduce pollution in local waterways and groundwater sources.

Reduces Energy Use

• The use of permeable pavements also has the potential to reduce energy use by lowering surrounding air temperatures, which in turn reduces demand on cooling systems within buildings.

Improves Air Quality

• Because permeable pavement captures rainfall onsite, communities can reduce the amount of water treatment needed, in turn reducing air pollution from power plants.
• By reducing the urban heat island effect, permeable pavement decreases ground level ozone formation, which directly impacts air quality.

Reduces Atmospheric CO₂

• Permeable pavement captures rainfall onsite, enabling communities to reduce the amount of water treatment needed, in turn reducing CO₂ emissions from power plants.
• Permeable pavement also has the potential of reducing lifecycle CO₂ emissions compared to asphalt and cement, which produce high lifecycle CO₂ emissions.

Reduces Urban Heat Island

• Permeable pavement absorbs less heat than conventional pavement, which helps to reduce the surrounding air temperature and decrease the amount of energy needed for cooling.

Improves Community Livability

• Some types of permeable pavement reduce local noise pollution by increasing street porosity levels.

Cultivates Public Education Opportunities

• Managing future economic and environmental constraints will require full community participation and partnership. Green infrastructure provides an opportunity to develop community awareness and understanding around the importance of sustainable water resource management.
• The installation of permeable pavement can provide an opportunity to further educate the public about the benefits of green infrastructure.