Overall Rating Silver - expired
Overall Score 53.74
Liaison Stephen Ellis
Submission Date March 1, 2016
Executive Letter Download

STARS v2.0

Boston University
OP-27: Rainwater Management

Status Score Responsible Party
Complete 2.00 / 2.00 Dennis Carlberg
Associate Vice President for Sustainability
BU Sustainability
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Does the institution use Low Impact Development (LID) practices as a matter of policy or standard practice to reduce rainwater/stormwater runoff volume and improve outgoing water quality for new construction, major renovation, and other projects?:
Yes

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A brief description of the institution’s Low Impact Development (LID) practices:
Stormwater runoff quantity and quality are addressed on a project by project basis. Stormwater is collected in underground cisterns then discharged over time to maintain the groundwater level. The Medical Student Residence that was completed in 2013, for example, features rainwater harvesting for landscape irrigation, and the Center for Student Services, which became operational in 2012, uses a ground and storm water retention system.

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Has the institution adopted a rainwater/stormwater management policy, plan, or strategies that mitigate the rainwater runoff impacts of ongoing campus operations through the use of green infrastructure? :
Yes

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A brief description of the institution’s rainwater/stormwater management policy, plan, and/or strategies for ongoing campus operations:
Bioswales are used to reduce surface runoff and to recharge the water table. The university adopts rainwater/storm water management strategies that are sustainable on a project to project basis.

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A brief description of any rainwater harvesting employed by the institution:
Boston University installs rainwater harvesting technologies on a project by project basis. To date, the University has installed two large systems totaling 25,000 gallons of capacity --15,000 gallons at the New Balance Field and 10,000 gallons at the Medical Student Residence.

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Rainwater harvested directly and stored/used by the institution, performance year:
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A brief description of any rainwater filtering systems employed by the institution to treat water prior to release:
The University employs groundwater recharge technologies in new construction projects to reduce storm water runoff into the watershed and to recharge the water table in the Back Bay.

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A brief description of any living or vegetated roofs on campus:
The sustainable roof systems at the Center for Student Services are designed to minimize the urban heat island effect and reduce energy use by using a combination of vegetated roofing, and white, reflective roofing. The vegetated roof is designed to reduce stormwater runoff by 60%. Its vegetation consists of drought resistant plants in order to limit the need for irrigation and maintenance.

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A brief description of any porous (i.e. permeable) paving employed by the institution:
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A brief description of any downspout disconnection employed by the institution:
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A brief description of any rain gardens on campus:
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A brief description of any stormwater retention and/or detention ponds employed by the institution:
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A brief description of any bioswales on campus (vegetated, compost or stone):
The University has installed bioswales as part of the New Balance Field project and others can be found in close proximity of University Road.

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A brief description of any other rainwater management technologies or strategies employed by the institution:
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The website URL where information about the institution’s rainwater management initiatives, plan or policy is available:
Data source(s) and notes about the submission:
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