The Madison City Council on Tuesday unanimously approved new storm water design rules.
The rules could raise costs for development but help prevent a repeat of the devastating floods of 2018, according to the Wisconsin State Journal.
According to city officials, the proposed standards for new projects and redevelopment would allow sites to handle more frequent and severe storms due to climate change.
Developers raised concerns about potential costs and asked the local government to do its part to protect against flooding. This includes managing lake levels and dredging so that water can pass through the Yahara River chain of lakes.
Bill Connors, executive director of Smart Growth Greater Madison, proposed a delay in implementation so that the city can lower the cost of development, reported the Wisconsin State Journal.
The city is also doing watershed studies to solve old flooding problems that can not be fixed right away with the new storm water ordinances, added the Engineering Division staff. The city also encouraged residents to help by suggesting they include rain gardens and rain barrels on their properties.
After severe flooding in 2018, the City Council invested an extra $5.7 million for flood-mitigation projects in the capital budget for 2019. The city has no flood control standards for redevelopment, added the Wisconsin State Journal.
That money would fix issues in the current system by replacing a large culvert near Elver Park. The county is working on ways to more quickly move water out of lakes Monona, Waubesa and Kegonsa, by dredging, aquatic plant management and implementing structural changes at the Tenney Lock House.
