Overall Rating Gold - expired
Overall Score 73.23
Liaison Michael Chapman
Submission Date Dec. 8, 2016
Executive Letter Download

STARS v2.0

Nova Scotia Community College
OP-27: Rainwater Management

Status Score Responsible Party
Complete 2.00 / 2.00 Spencer Axford
Co-op Student
Facilities Management
"---" 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:

Stormwater management initiatives used at all NSCC campuses include grading parking lots so stormwater can run-off into vegetated areas. Some campuses use cisterns to collect the stormwater and use it for irrigation of gardens; while other campuses use swales to collect stormwater run-off where it is filtered and directed to retention ponds. Any work that is to be done must be completed to provincial guidelines.


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:

Through sustainability policy, NSCC is committed to supporting environmentally friendly practices. Our campuses institute a variety of strategies to manage rainwater - both velocity and quality. This is a requirement of NSCC's BOMA BEST certification.


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

Waterfront Campus in Dartmouth uses a cistern to catch rainwater, then uses the grey water for a small section of the building. This helps reduce water usage at this campus.


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:

Marconi Campus in Sydney uses a Stormcepter to filter out oil and sediment from water run off in the parking areas, then releases the clean water into a local wooded area.

The Waterfront Campus has a bio swale, to naturally filter surface runoff prior to stormwater discharge.


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

The green roof at the NSCC Waterfront Campus uses a variety of green products that includes: mats, plant baskets, grasses in thin soil and plants in thick soil. The roof houses a built-in irrigation system that is supplied by rain water and it does not just have sedums but has tall grasses and bushes. The garden is easily accessible to students so they can benefit educationally from it; it has a path running through the centre for easy observation and is attached to a penthouse classroom.


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

Permeable concrete is being utilized at the NSCC Waterfront Campus, which allows rainwater to pass directly through it and reenter the ground water supply. This same technology will be used for future construction, where practical.


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:

At the Waterfront Campus retention ponds are used at NSCC to hold stormwater that has been filtered through the bioswales.


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

The Bioswale at NSCC Waterfront Campus is a gently sloped ditch lined with grass and plants. It naturally filters storm water run-off. As the water flows over the sloped soil, the plants filter out contaminants and excess water settles in retention ponds.


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.