Overall Rating Gold - expired
Overall Score 72.78
Liaison Brandon Trelstad
Submission Date April 30, 2015
Executive Letter Download

STARS v2.0

Oregon State University
OP-27: Rainwater Management

Status Score Responsible Party
Complete 2.00 / 2.00 Brandon Trelstad
Sustainability Coordinator
Sustainability Office
"---" 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:

The City of Corvallis requires that new construction over 2,000 sq. ft. obtain an Erosion Prevention Sediment Control (EPSC) permit, create an EPSC plan and submit to regular inspections.

For ongoing operations, the City has stringent requirements for water quality and quantity. Facilities with over 25,000 sq. ft of impervious surface must be so detention rates do not exceed pre-development conditions based on the 2yr through 10yr, 24 hour storm. Projects creating 5,000 square feet or more of pollution generating impervious surface (pavement accessible to motor vehicles) must be designed to remove 70% of Total Suspended Solids for 2/3 of the 2 year, 24 hour storm.
http://www.corvallisoregon.gov/index.aspx?page=328

The City of Corvallis often references the King County, Washington Surface Water Design Manual when specifying design criteria for stormwater system.


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:

OSU requires design teams to consider vegetated swales and other natural mechanisms to deal with stormwater whenever possible. Several bioswales are installed on campus already, and one large one - the Reser Stadium Bioswale - drains a significant area of OSU's impermeable surfaces. Street reconstructions include water quality and quantity considerations.


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

Rainwater is collected then organically & mechanically filtered, treated, and stored at Kelley Engineering, in a 16,500 gallon chemical-free cistern system. This system is used to flush toilets and urinals rather than using potable water.

OSU's LEED Platinum Energy Center uses rainwater for boiler make up water, reducing both city water consumption and the need for treatment (rainwater also has a more appropriate chemical balance).


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:

Stormwater from the roof of Kearney Hall is filtered and retained by the building landscape before it enters the stormwater system.


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

A small demonstration vegetated roof exists on campus but no large scale installations to date.


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

OSU has pervious paving at multiple locations including several parking lots and People's Park.

The parking lot uses pervious asphalt, while the Park site is pervious concrete, demonstrating the viability of both technologies.


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:

Several retention facilities are used on campus to meet the City of Corvallis' stormwater design specifications. These are not ponds but bioswales that slow water runoff during storm events.


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

Bioswales at Reser Stadium and Magruder Hall treat and retain stormwater from nearby roadways and parking lots. OSU has 11 bioswales and 5 rain gardens in various locations around campus.

The large swale (approx. 20'W x 150'long) at Reser stadium retains water from a large portion of campus.


A brief description of any other rainwater management technologies or strategies employed by the institution:

Numerous detention manholes and filter manholes are present on campus that exceed code requirements. While they do not let water infiltrate, their sediment reduction properties are excellent when a swale cannot be used due to cost or space constraints.


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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