When a major storm rolls through the Upper Ohio River Basin, are your streets, homes, and streams ready for it? Probably not as ready as they could be – and that is exactly what Matt Genchur from the Pennsylvania Association of Flood Plain Managers wants to talk about at H2O Water Network’s Spring Confluence on May 29 at Geneva College in Beaver Falls, PA.
Matt works on the front lines of flood prevention and stormwater management across Pennsylvania. At Confluence, he will share practical ideas for how communities can reduce flooding risk, protect property, and keep runoff from carrying pollutants into local waterways. Register here to attend Spring Confluence 2026.
While you are waiting for May 29, here are seven proven techniques for capturing rainwater and reducing stormwater runoff – ideas that work at the property level and scale up to the neighborhood and community level.
The Problem With Rain
Most developed properties – conventional lawns, paved driveways, parking lots, rooftops – are not built to handle heavy rain. Water runs off instead of soaking in. That runoff floods basements, erodes stream banks, overwhelms storm sewers, and picks up gasoline, fertilizer, road salt, and other pollutants along the way before dumping into your local creek or river.
The good news: there are practical, affordable things that homeowners, businesses, and municipalities can do right now to change that.
Seven Ways to Capture Rainwater and Reduce Runoff
1. Rain Garden
A shallow, heavily vegetated basin filled with highly absorbent soil that captures and filters stormwater. Planted with native, deep-rooted plants, rain gardens soak up runoff, filter out heavy metals and chemicals, and require minimal watering. They also attract birds and pollinators.
2. Swale
A gently sloped, vegetated channel that slows stormwater runoff as it moves across your property. Swales filter pollutants and reduce flow speed before water reaches a stream, dry well, or rain garden. Unlike a rain garden, a swale keeps water moving – just more slowly and cleanly.
3. French Drain
An underground trench filled with gravel – often with a perforated pipe at the bottom – that moves water away from your foundation and toward a safe outlet. If water pools against your house or floods your basement, a French drain is often the most direct fix.
4. Dry Well
An underground chamber that holds water and lets it slowly percolate into the soil. Dry wells can receive runoff from downspouts, sump pumps, swales, or foundation drains. Simple to install and highly effective.
5. Rain Barrel
A barrel connected to your gutter downspout that captures rainwater for later use – watering your garden, washing your car, or keeping your lawn green during dry spells. Rain barrels reduce runoff from your roof and protect your foundation. An overflow port channels excess water safely away.
6. Permeable Paving
Driveways, patios, and parking areas made with porous materials – pervious concrete, permeable asphalt, or interlocking pavers – that let water soak through instead of running off. Permeable paving also filters pollutants like oil and fertilizer before they reach streams.
7. Green Roof
A roof covered with vegetation and engineered soil layers that absorb rainwater, filter pollutants, and insulate the building. Green roofs cost more upfront but pay off through reduced energy costs, longer roof life, improved air quality, and significant stormwater reduction.
Hear More at Spring Confluence – May 29
Matt Genchur from the Pennsylvania Association of Flood Plain Managers will be at Spring Confluence 2026 to dig deeper into how communities across the Upper Ohio River Basin can build real flood resilience. Whether you work in stormwater management, watershed stewardship, municipal planning, or just want to protect your own property – this is a conversation worth showing up for.
Date: May 29, 2026
Location: Geneva College, Beaver Falls, PA
Register: Click here to register for Spring Confluence 2025
Resource information in this post is drawn from the RainReady program developed by the Center for Neighborhood Technology. Learn more at rainready.org.
