Innovators: Better Roads Ahead

Researchers at Washington State University discuss problems involved with the construction and use of roads in urban settings. Once a city is paved and the quantity of permeable land is reduced, pollution builds up on roads, awaiting the next heavy rainfall to wash it away. Since this rain is then unable to reenter ground water due to the pavement, it instead flows into sewers and directly into waterways. This inhibits the ground from filtering the pollutants and flushes large quantities of the pollutants into rivers and streams in a short time. These researchers purpose a new type a pavement that would allow for water to permeate through it and enter the ground, helping to mitigate the issue.

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