Seeking to curb pollution from storm water, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency  has announced a proposal that will mandate green roofs, rain barrels and other measures to trap dirty rainwater in new and redeveloped areas of Washington, D.C., according to an article in the Washington Post.

The EPA proposal would require developers to trap 90 percent of water that falls on an area during a storm, the article says. The hope is that pollution, chemicals and trash would be caught in rain barrels or absorbed by green roofs, thus minimizing the runoff into rivers that lead to the Chesapeake Bay.

Labeled at the fastest growing cause of pollution to the Chesapeake,  storm water is a huge issue nationwide. As American cities and suburbs expand, development and the amount of impervious surfaces increase, causing dirty water to flow into fresh waters after big storms.

The EPA plan for the District would require developers to trap the first 1.2 inches of rain that falls during a storm. Federal buildings would be required to trap the first 1.7 inches.  This plan is aimed at D.C.’s storm-sewer system as a way to revamp the way the city handles contaminated water.