Overall Rating Gold - expired
Overall Score 68.74
Liaison Kathleen Crawford
Submission Date July 28, 2014
Executive Letter Download

STARS v2.0

Florida Gulf Coast University
OP-27: Rainwater Management

Status Score Responsible Party
Complete 2.00 / 2.00 Katie Leone
Sustainability Coordinator
Environmental Health & Safety
"---" indicates that no data was submitted for this field

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

A brief description of the institution’s Low Impact Development (LID) practices:
FGCU abides by SFWMD requirements (http://www.sfwmd.gov/portal/page/portal/sfwmdmain/home%20page) and and NPDES National Pollutants Discharge Elimination System permitting and regulation standards. (http://water.epa.gov/polwaste/npdes/) We have a series of stormwater drains system and pipe systems which returns stormwater to the ground quickly, thereby reducing the opportunity for runoff to collect pollutants before making its way to protected wetlands and conservation areas. Water that soaks into the ground quickly leads to a healthier overall water supply; it replenishes groundwater aquifers and keeps our nearby waterways clean while reducing flooding and erosion on campus. Whenever we have construction projects where the management of groundwater or precipitation is an issue, we are required to filter the water before releasing it naturally into the environment. FGCU resides within a sub-basin of the Estero River Basin, which represents a significant portion of the Estero Bay Drainage Basin. The entire 800 acre University campus property has been designed with one master stormwater system to accommodate a maximum of 410.20 acres of development. It is comprised of mostly upland and wetland habitats. The master-planned campus stormwater system is comprised of an interconnected network of detention and retention ponds that occur in the higher elevation upland areas of the campus. The property run-off, generated by the adjacent upland University development footprint, is conveyed through these linked features. Discharged waters exit the site at one of two existing perimeter cypress sloughs (“swamps”) that are located at the east and west sides of the property boundary. Prior to entering either of these sloughs, the treated stormwater is conveyed through a spreader swale that has been specifically designed to mimic natural conditions, thus slowing the rate/speed of the discharged water flow and preventing the potential for erosion or turbidity in the natural slough environment. After flowing through these eastern/western cypress sloughs, the slow-moving water flows converge again at the southern point of the property where they ultimately discharge to the Estero River. The plans for the storm water management system for the University campus were approved by the U.S. Army Corp of Engineers Permit No. 199400807 and South Florida Water Management District Permit No. 36-02881-5.

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

A brief description of the institution’s rainwater/stormwater management policy, plan, and/or strategies for ongoing campus operations:
We have retention areas and swales boarding roadways, buildings and parking garages and environmentally sensitive areas. Surface water management on the campus detains/retains for pretreatment the first 1.5 inches of runoff from hard surfaces rather than the typically required 1.0 inch of runoff. The FGCU campus site was originally permitted to provide storm water management in four separate development basins. Onsite wetlands were permitted to be a key feature of the stormwater management system within each basin, along with created lakes and dry detention pre-treatment area. Currently, the building sites in Basins 2 and 3 have been predominantly developed with stormwater management infrastructure in place. These two basins (Basin 2= The Academic Core and Basin 3 and the Student Housing/Recreation Area) have obtained permits that account for much of the developable land. No additional mitigation will be required for development of the remainder of these basins, provided this development is consistent with the direction provided in the initial conceptual permit. Future development in these areas that varies from the term of the initial conceptual permit will require SFWMD stormwater attenuation and mitigation as specified when those permits are issued. Basin 4 consists of the development of approximately 48 acres. Stormwater management criteria are included with this permit application including the utilization of dry detention, wet detention, and incorporation of existing wetlands as attenuation features. The conceptual plans for the FGCU’s proposed stormwater management system were coordinated, reviewed, and approved by South Florida Water Management District (Permit No. 36-02881-5). The established coordinating relationship is expected to continue, based upon the University’s satisfactory compliance with the conditions of the permits, through future development phases. Plans for the stormwater management system for the FGCU campus have been approved by US Army Corps of Engineers(permit #199400807).

A brief description of any rainwater harvesting employed by the institution:
There is one rain barrel in the Food Forest that is used as a teaching tool for students that will move to other places after they graduate. There are more effective ways to manage rainwater in our region as described above.

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:
None

A brief description of any living or vegetated roofs on campus:
None

A brief description of any porous (i.e. permeable) paving employed by the institution:
Porous paving is employed in select areas on campus including the solar field and auxiliary parking area, the Great Lawn, the Plaza, and various walkways around campus

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:
Florida Gulf Coast University has detention ponds. Wet detention ponds are storm water control structures providing both retention and treatment of contaminated storm water runoff and are designed to mimic the natural environment.

A brief description of any bioswales on campus (vegetated, compost or stone):
See above description of swale & detention system on campus.

A brief description of any other rainwater management technologies or strategies employed by the institution:
See above description of the storm water system on campus.

The website URL where information about the institution’s rainwater management initiatives, plan or policy is available:
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Data source(s) and notes about the submission:
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The information presented here is self-reported. While AASHE staff review portions of all STARS reports and institutions are welcome to seek additional forms of review, the data in STARS reports are not verified by AASHE. If you believe any of this information is erroneous or inconsistent with credit criteria, please review the process for inquiring about the information reported by an institution or simply email your inquiry to stars@aashe.org.