Paving the way to reduce runoff

PINELLAS PARK - Storm water runoff can cause flooding and pollution to our water supply.

Parking lots and driveways may not be the first thing that comes to mind when trying to reduce runoff, but it's on the mind of these pavers.

Douglas Corey, president of PaverCrafters, help to fill the gaps of this paving problem by providing a type of paving that fightsrunoff.

"When these two bricks come together, there's enough space for water to travel through them," Corey said.

The design helps keep water from collecting. They're called "permeable pavers." This is the largest project of its kind in the state, at the Pinellas Park Performing Arts Center.

You would never know a parking lot they paved over was built on a retention pond, saving a nearby soccer field from becoming a pond. This lot can hold 10 inches of water.

So, how does it work? It's simple.

When water hits the asphalt, it runs off. But when it hits the pavers, it soaks in. That's because the lot is 3-feet deep, designed to dramatically reduce runoff.

We tried it out. For several minutes, we watched the workers run over the same spot.

"There won't be a puddle here," Corey said. "This water is going to continue to flow down through the aggregate and into the aquifer, and at the same time be cleaned on it's way down."

And it worked. You don't need to live by a retention pond to get one. Anyone can install these pavers in their driveway.

"Where the water runs down into the gutter from your driveway, this would essentially eliminate that," he said.

And if you help reduce runoff, you'll help reduce the amount of pollutants in the waterway.