Overall Rating Gold - expired
Overall Score 71.65
Liaison Laura Bain
Submission Date Jan. 19, 2018
Executive Letter Download

STARS v2.1

Furman University
OP-23: Rainwater Management

Status Score Responsible Party
Complete 1.00 / 2.00 Laura Bain
Associate Director of Sustainability Assessment
David E. Shi Center for Sustainability
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Which of the following best describes the institution’s approach to rainwater management?:
Less comprehensive policies, plans or guidelines that incorporate green infrastructure

A brief description of the institution’s green infrastructure and LID practices:

On all new projects, Furman builds to LEED Silver standards, employing practices that reduce stormwater runoff rates in accordance with state and county regulations. There are numerous catch basins around Furman's campus that trap sediment, chemicals, and nutrients. Additionally, Furman utilizes soil and erosion control measures to reduce the amount of erosion that flows into Furman's Swan Lake, such as constructing rain gardens and planting native riparian buffer vegetation around the lake, structural grass pavement, porous concrete pavement, pervious brick pavement (with underdrain filtration), native plants, rainwater harvesting and storage for irrigation, bio-retention ponds and surfaces, detention ponds, grass filtration strips, buffers on both sides of Little Creek, and manufactured structures such as catch basin inserts, cyclone separators and offset bay separators. Additionally, the lake water is used for about 60% of Furman's irrigation and native species are encouraged to reduce irrigation needs.

The synthetic turf football field that catches and slows the runoff rate, cleans the stormwater of sediment and does not require the use of nutrients that damage the environment.


A copy of the institution’s rainwater management policy, plan, and/or guidelines:
A brief description of the institution’s rainwater management policy, plan, and/or guidelines that supports the responses above:

The Lake Restoration Project began in 2006 and continues to improve water quality in the lake. Stormwater management is a major factor in water quality, so a large portion of the plan relates to practices that slow and retain rainwater. The attached 2017 document is a progress report on this initiative.


The website URL where information about the programs or initiatives is available:
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Additional documentation to support the submission:
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Data source(s) and notes about the submission:
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