Small Business Environmental Assistance Program (SBEAP) - Low Impact Development
Raingardens capture parking lot runoff at a local manufacturing facility.
A green roof reduces heating and cooling costs at this site in Minneapolis.
Low Impact Development (LID) for Businesses
Here’s how you can stop that drop, and put the ‘LID’ on water pollution!
Would you like to:
- reduce your business’s environmental impact?
- protect Minnesota’s lakes and rivers?
- reduce regulatory obligations?
- demonstrate environmental stewardship?
- save money?
If so, you might consider using LID techniques on your business site. LID is a type of stormwater management that strives to mimic the natural flow of water in a watershed, and is an alternative to the conventional curb-and-gutter approach to stormwater management. LID can reduce the amount of sediment, nutrients, heavy metals, and other pollutants that enter Minnesota’s waters through stormwater runoff.
Examples of LID include:
- rain gardens
- rain barrels and cisterns
- porous asphalt, concrete and pavers
- vegetated swales
- green roofs
- curbless streets and curb cuts
Read the 
Low Impact Development for Minnesota Businesses fact sheet for information about cost, financial assistance, cold climate effectiveness, and more.
LID Resources
- Minnesota Stormwater Manual
- Low Impact Development for Local Governments
- Stormwater Research and Assessment
- Stormwater Program - Construction, Industrial, Municipal
For more information about LID for businesses, contact Sara Brown at 651-282-6143, or 800-657-3938.
Related Links
- LID Urban Design Tools
- Environmental Protection Agency - LID
- Low Impact Development Center
- Blue Thumb- native landscaping
- Minnesota Green Roofs Council
- Minnesota Board of Water and Soil Resources
- Minnesota Urban Small Sites Best Management Practices Manual
- Reducing Stormwater Costs Through Low Impact Development Strategies and Practices
