Overall Rating Bronze - expired
Overall Score 35.38
Liaison Rachael Rost-Allen
Submission Date June 17, 2014
Executive Letter Download

STARS v2.0

Johnson County Community College
OP-27: Rainwater Management

Status Score Responsible Party
Complete 2.00 / 2.00 Kim Criner
Student Sustainability Engagement Coordinator
Center for Sustainability
"---" 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:

We have a best management practice stormwater management system that includes two bioswales containing vegetated submerged beds and a large bioretention basin that slows the flow and mitigates pollution runoff from parking lots and paved surfaces on the southeast quadrant of our campus, which account for approximately 20% of its parking and driving surfaces (or 502,500 sq. ft.). The project also includes an impermeable walkway for access by classes and groups.
More on the project here: http://www.jccc.edu/sustainability/projects/stormwater-management.html
The Horticulture Sciences Center was designed with two cisterns, with a capacity of 10,000 gallons combined, to collect rainwater from the building's roof and provide non-potable water to the building's greenhouse and grounds.
The Galileo's Pavilion building also collects rooftop rainwater which is stored in a 1700 gallon cistern. This water is used to irrigate indoor green walls and is pumped to flush valves in the building's restroom. Galileo's Pavilion also includes green roof trays and the landscape was designed with a rain garden to slow and treat water runoff from the building site.
The Olathe Health Education Building landscaping includes bioswales and a bioretention cell to treat parking lot runoff.


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:

Stormwater management is considered with all new campus construction, especially as pertains to landscaping. Examples of this are outlined above and applicable to the Olathe Health Education Center, Galileo's Pavilion and the new Hospitality and Culinary Academy (all built in the last three years) - The HCA was sited in a parking lot already treated by the stormwater management project in the southeast quadrant of campus, so runoff considerations were already built into the site.


A brief description of any rainwater harvesting employed by the institution:

Rainwater is collected from the rough of the Galileo's Pavilion building, a 2900 sq. ft. one story building. The water is stored in a 1700 gallon cistern and used to either irrigate the building's three greenwalls or to flush the toilets or urinals in the building's restrooms.

Rainwater is also collected from the rough of the Horticulture Sciences Building and stored in two cisterns, totally 10,000 gallons of capacity, which fit into the building's design as two large pillars framing the building entrance. This water is used to water plants in the adjacent greenhouse of garden beds in the building's landscaping.


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:

A BRAE Series SBF (small basket filters) is installed on the Galileo Pavilion catchment/cistern system to filter the rainwater before used to irrigate the greenwall plants.
Native plants within the southeast quadrant stormwater managment system and the Galileo's Pavilion rain garden naturally filter pollutants from rainwater runoff in those specific areas prior to it entering the stormwater system and eventually the watershed.


A brief description of any living or vegetated roofs on campus:

Galileo's Pavilion has green roof blocks containing sedums around the perimeter of the roof of each of the building's three modules. The plant trays absorb rainwater and help prevent runoff. The plants are well adapted to the region and need little maintenance or supplemental watering.


A brief description of any porous (i.e. permeable) paving employed by the institution:

We have a small area of porous paving that creates a sidewalk near and around our storm water management bioretention basin.


A brief description of any downspout disconnection employed by the institution:
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A brief description of any rain gardens on campus:

A small rain garden was installed as part of the Galileo's Pavilion building construction to handle the rainwater runoff from that building site.


A brief description of any stormwater retention and/or detention ponds employed by the institution:

Our storm water management system concludes in a large bioretention basin.


A brief description of any bioswales on campus (vegetated, compost or stone):

We have vegetated bioswales in medians and around parking lots as part of our southeast quadrant stormwater management system.


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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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.