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Local schools, businesses and neighborhood groups are receiving grants totaling more than $1.2 million to fund projects to improve stormwater quality in Lexington, Mayor Jim Newberry announced Friday.

The projects include the installation of pervious pavements, constructed wetlands, stream restorations, rain gardens, rain barrels and a vegetated roof. Several stormwater education projects in neighborhoods, schools and on television are also funded.

"Improving our environment has been a top priority of my administration and improving water quality has been at the forefront of our efforts," Newberry said. "I am excited to see these schools, businesses and neighborhood groups initiate projects that will directly impact stormwater runoff challenges in our city."

The Water Quality Fees Board selected 13 Class B grants, available to businesses and institutions, for funding this year through the water quality management fee.

Seven of these grants involve installation of infrastructure to improve water quality and reduce stormwater runoff. These are:

· AIE Properties LLC (RossTarrant Architects), $109,000, for the construction of 10,870 square feet of pervious pavement replacing an existing parking lot.
· Coca-Cola Refreshments USA, Inc., $189,090 for the design and construction of an 8,500-square-foot rain garden/bioretention system, a 12,500-gallon infiltration chamber, a water quality sump drop inlet with floatables hood and a 10,000-gallon rainwater harvest tank collecting runoff from 25,600 square feet of existing roof.
· Community Montessori School, Inc., $107,868 to restore 950 feet of degraded stream, retrofit of an existing detention basin to a constructed wetland, install two rain gardens, an infiltration chamber system and replacement of a broken storm sewer headwall.
· Fayette County Public Schools (Clays Mill Elementary), $57,800 for a project to restore 800 feet of degraded stream, three constructed wetlands, install two rain gardens, a biofiltration swale and installation of pervious pavement.
· Klausing Group, Inc., $321,576.48 for the design and construction of an 8,025-square-foot vegetated roof on an existing building, retrofit of an existing detention basin outlet with an oil/water separator, replacement of a 1,100-square-foot asphalt parking lot with pervious pavement and upgrade of a new 7,150-square-foot parking lot to pervious pavement.
· Ronald McDonald House Charities of the Bluegrass, Inc., $201,285 for the design and construction of 15,700 square feet of pervious pavement, a rainwater harvest cistern for stormwater reuse collecting runoff from 11,000 square feet of roof surface, install two rain gardens and a 4,500 square foot biofiltration swale.
· Good Foods Market and Café $2,600 for the installation of two National Environmental Compliance Stormwater Filter catch basin inserts.

The remaining six Class B grants are for educational programs. These grants require a 50% match from the receiving organization and include:

· WLEX Communications, LLC, $115,869.06 for a 10-month "Water Quality Is Everyone's Responsibility" campaign.
· The University of Kentucky Research Foundation, $113,375 for education of teachers and students on stormwater pollution, stream and wetland ecology and development of units of study on stormwater quality and quantity and watershed-based issues. Hands-on learning experiences will be provided in partnership with several of the grant projects during design and construction.
· Transylvania University, $4,878.75 for a year-long campaign focused on informing the university community about water quality issues. The project includes service events in the Town Branch watershed such as water quality monitoring and stream cleaning, interpretive signage on existing water quality facilities on campus, faculty/staff workshops and distribution of up to 25 rain barrels and 20 rain garden plant kits to faculty/staff who attend the workshops.
· Henry Clay High School, $2,500 for development and implementation of an environmental/stormwater curriculum, hosting an educational seminar for the public, enhancement of an existing rain garden on the Henry Clay High School campus, and development of a self-guided tour of the rain garden available to the public.
· Rosa Parks Elementary School, $6,700 for an outdoor learning space at the elementary school to include a portable water table with moveable dams used for teaching about surface water flow, erosion, water movement, water levels, and energy generation and tiered walking paths as part of a larger nature trail.
· The Trane Company, $4,677.19 for educational seminars for Trane's 1,067 employees covering stormwater-related topics including how to reduce pollutants. The company will also partner with two local schools in presenting educational materials to students.

Class A grants, available to neighborhood and community associations, were awarded to 10 organizations earlier this year. These grants require a match by the association through cost-sharing and/or volunteer sweat-equity.

Newberry announced four more Class A neighborhood grants Friday:

· Autumn Ridge Neighborhood Association, Inc., $11,183.75 for an aeration and algae control system in the neighborhood's 1.4 acre retention pond in the East Hickman Creek Watershed to increase dissolved oxygen and improve water quality in the pond and the downstream receiving system. The association will also purchase and install 10 rain barrels within the neighborhood and hold an education workshop for neighborhood residents on pond health and stormwater pollution.
· Gainesway Neighborhood Association, Inc., $10,255 for stream bank restoration and riparian buffer enhancement on one side of approximately 500 linear feet of a tributary to West Hickman Creek and three educational workshops to educate the community on water quality, stream flow, stormwater problems, native plantings and overall stream maintenance.
· Eastland Parkway Neighborhood Association, Inc., $7,408 for cleaning, soil stabilization, and tree plantings along streams in their neighborhood, all tributaries of North Elkhorn Creek. A seminar will be held on rain barrels and the project goal is to subsidize the purchase of up to 15 rain barrels for neighborhood residents. An educational seminar will be held during the year on environmental issues and door hangers will be used to educate residents on stormwater pollution. The association will collaborate with science students and several local schools on water testing, storm drain stenciling, and related activities.
· Southern Heights Neighborhood Association, Inc., $40,630.40 to replace 3,895 square feet of existing asphalt pavement with a permeable paver system. The project is located in the Wolf Run watershed on an access road that runs parallel to Nicholasville Road, starting at the intersection with Hiltonia Park. This intersection currently holds water during heavy rain events. The project also includes planting of trees by volunteers along the edge of the pavers and installation of an educational sign explaining pervious pavement and how it improves water quality and reduces runoff.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency sued the city in 2006 for violations of the federal Clean Water Act. Under a legal agreement, the Urban County Council approved the water quality management fee to pay for improvements to address stormwater quality, monitoring and enforcement.

For more information on ways to improve water quality in Fayette County visit www.livegreenlexington.com.