On May 10, DC Water launched its Green Infrastructure Challenge. The goal of the competition is to challenge firms to retrofit properties for combined sewer overflow control using innovative green infrastructure designs. Design teams should illustrate practicality, because DC Water plans to construct several of the top projects. Data from the projects will be used to demonstrate whether large-scale green infrastructure could replace all or a portion of the Potomac and Rock Creek tunnel projects planned under DC Water’s consent decree.

In addition, DC Water will award more than $1 million in prizes for design and construction of the projects in the Potomac and Rock Creek drainage areas. Project categories include public, private, and government and institutional properties. Four awards of $10,000 will be given in each category for planning and design. In each category, two awards will be granted for construction at $300,000 for the public space and $75,000 for both the private and government properties.

Multidisciplinary teams are strongly encouraged and must include a least one professional engineer and one registered landscape architect. Submissions are due Oct. 1, and finalists will be announced Nov. 1. Read more in the briefing document.