Better Site Design: A Correlation Between Quality of Water and Quality of Life

The purpose of this thesis is to demonstrate that Tennessee residents would likely find Better Site Design techniques more aesthetically pleasing than conventional land development approaches. Better Site Design is an approach to land development that seeks to reduce impervious cover and maintain a degree of natural vegetation on a development site. This approach has been proven to vastly support healthier water quality of nearby streams and other bodies of water.

The thesis begins with an explication of the Clean Water Act that is the enabling legislation for the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System. This system mandates communities to incorporate protection of water quality into their operations, plans, and procedures. Better Site Design is an approach to this system that affords water quality support at the post-development stage.

A description of Better Site Design is offered followed by the scientific evidence that supports the fact that it does, indeed, aid water quality. Finally, the detail of a survey developed and implemented by the author is presented. The survey depicts a graphical comparison of two approaches to land development in terms of stormwater management: the conventional approach and the Better Site Design approach. There are 12 scenarios in which the two approaches are compared. Each scenario consists of a graphical comparison of the Better Site Design technique with its conventional counterpart.

Results of the survey show an overwhelming agreement with my hypothesis. Better than 90% of those surveyed showed agreement with 10 of the 12 scenarios, and at least 63% showed agreement with the other two scenarios. In all cases, the chi-square test demonstrates significance of respondents answering in agreement, considerably more than 50% of the time.

Given the survey results, it is concluded that developments incorporating Better Site Design would be feasibly marketable and sellable by land developers, and would also enhance local water quality.