Inspections and maintenance

This guide is focused on planning and design. In many places you will find tips to design structures with considerations for how to facilitate future maintenance.

But to get detailed information from STEP on the inspection and maintenance of LID practices, please see our complete guide here or embedded below:

Example of inspection and testing indicators framework and maintenance guide for bioretention and dry swales practices.

Sustainable Technologies Evaluation Program

Low Impact Development. A stormwater management strategy that seeks to mitigate the impacts of increased urban runoff and stormwater pollution by managing it as close to its source as possible. It comprises a set of site design approaches and small scale stormwater management practices that promote the use of natural systems for infiltration and evapotranspiration, and rainwater harvesting.

A shallow excavated surface depression containing prepared filter media, mulch, and planted with selected vegetation.

Linear bioretention cell designed to convey, treat and attenuate stormwater runoff. The engineered filter media soil mixture and vegetation slows the runoff water to allow sedimentation, filtration through the root zone, evapotranspiration, and infiltration into the underlying native soil.