由美國土木工程師學會（ASCE）「環境與水資源研究院」贊助的2008年國際低衝擊性開發會議，11月16日西雅圖Westin Seattle飯店召開。
美國土木工程師學會新任會長克羅茲（D. Wayne Klotz）於就職演說上呼籲伙伴多花心思在淨化水源的工作上：「我今天宣布，未來土木工程將以此為目標，其他工作對社會影響都不及此來的重要。」
克羅茲向智囊團們致謝並且說到：「潔淨的水是生命之源。土木工程人員負責輸送乾淨的水。從發現水源開始、淨化、消毒到輸送至每戶人家、公司以及工廠，最後大眾利用完時，我們將他集中、淨化最後才排放至原初發現的地方。任何形式的社區都需要水才得以存在，更甭談任何強大的經濟體。每一位為水資源工作付出的土木工程者都是人們得以安居以及保有健康的不二原因。」
低衝擊性開發使得暴雨問題得以自然方式解決，據新英格蘭環境經濟會議提供的網頁資訊指出：「低衝擊性開發是較為永續的土地發展技術，以保存自然資源、地貌及水文開發地方，結合自然工法儲存、滲透、蒸發及保留方式，使暴雨獲得最好的管理。」
在以低成本換取潔淨水源的不止息追尋裡，低衝擊性開發如透水鋪面、雨花園及綠屋頂概念愈來愈被大眾接受。
這些新的技術獲得肯定主要是因為其不僅幫開發者省下一大筆錢，更有助於保育河川、湖泊以及飲用水資源。
這次會議另一個目標是，告知暴雨管理者如何在執行工程時預知以及處理問題，也冀望藉此加速暴雨管理手法改變，包含透過資訊交流以修正設計程序、重審步驟以及與低衝擊性開發技術相關建造標準。
The 2008 International Low Impact Development Conference opened Sunday at the Westin Seattle, sponsored by the Environmental & Water Resources Institute of the American Society of Civil Engineers, ASCE.
In his inaugural address, the new ASCE president D. Wayne Klotz, called on fellow professionals to take more credit for the clean water work they do, Klotz said, "Today, I declare this to be the Year of the Civilization Engineer! To do anything else would diminish our contribution to society."
"Clean water is essential to sustain life," said Klotz, thanking the members of his profession. "Civil engineers deliver clean water. We find it, clean it, disinfect it, and deliver it into people homes, businesses, industries. When the public finishes with it, we civil engineers pick it up, clean it up, and put it back where we found it. No community of any size would exist without clean water, nor can any strong economy. To those civil engineers who are in the water resources business, you are the sole reason that people can live in a community and maintain their health."
Low impact development draws its stormwater solutions from the natural world. "LID is a more sustainable land development technique that includes a site design approach to preserve natural resources, terrain, and hydrology, combined with a natural approach to stormwater best management practices that store, infiltrate, evaporate, and detain runoff," according to the Environmental Business Council of New England, which offers a web page listing LID information resources at: http://www.ebcne.org/index.php?id=266
In the never-ending quest for clean water at low cost, the use of low impact development practices such as pervious pavements, rain gardens, and green roofs is gaining in popularity.
The new acceptance of these techniques is due to the fact that they can save developers substantial amounts of money while helping protect rivers, lakes and drinking water resources.
One objective of this conference, which continues through Wednesday, is to inform stormwater managers how to anticipate and address obstacles to implementation of these techniques.
Another goal is to accelerate change in the practice of stormwater management, including an information exchange to refine design processes, review procedures and construction standards related to LID technologies, conference organizers say.
