Removal of natural vegetation, topsoil, and natural channels that provide natural drainage control should always be avoided. An alternative would be to stabilize soils, capture runoff in depressions (to help recharge groundwater supply), and revegetate areas to replicate natural drainage systems.

Aside from the sustainable benefits of effective storm water management the Air Force is also motivated to meet the legislated requirements of the Clean Water Act (CWA). The CWA is a law enacted by Congress and signed by the President that establishes environmental programs, including the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) program, to protect the Nation's waters.

The following guidelines should be considered when designing a site layout for sustainability:

• the use of culverts and canals for watercourses should be avoided wherever possible, and opportunities to re-establish natural watercourses, channels, margins and wetlands should be maximized;
• the amount of non-porous hard surfacing should be minimized to enable infiltration;
• downstream watercourses should be protected from the adverse effects of excess surface water run-off, both in quantity and quality;
• landscape areas should incorporate such features as swales and filter strips to reduce the volume of piped surface water run off;
• infiltration methods, such as pervious pavement, bioswales and vegetated roofs should be used wherever possible and where soil conditions permit;
• where surface water cannot be absorbed on site provision should be made for open balancing ponds;
• where site drainage is to a combined sewer the impact of any increased flow on combined sewer overflows should be considered and minimized;
• install oil interceptors and silt traps to improve the quality of any surface water discharge to watercourses, rain gardens and/or bioswales;
• provide facilities for rainwater collection for re-use;
• where possible, site landscaping should utilize plant species which do not require irrigation.