Overall Rating Gold - expired
Overall Score 68.95
Liaison Daryl Pierson
Submission Date June 30, 2016
Executive Letter Download

STARS v2.0

Portland State University
OP-27: Rainwater Management

Status Score Responsible Party
Complete 2.00 / 2.00 Jenny McNamara
Sustainability Manager
Campus 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:

Stormwater management policy from 2005
IPM plan adopted 2012

Sustainable stormwater management principles are adopted as Portland State University’s (PSU) preferred approach for the management of stormwater. These principles have and will be demonstrated in the planning and retrofitting of current and future campus development with the intent of managing all stormwater on site within a 50-100 year time period.

Includes such initiatives as:
Eco-roofs, rainwater harvesting, bioswales, porous pavers, better irrigation practices, and more.

Goals:
•Decrease impervious surfaces and/or increase stormwater surfaces which allow for water reuse on the Portland State University campus, especially through methods which continue to allow urban density.
•Improve water quality, decrease water runoff peak rate, increase and improve natural habitat systems.
•Decrease resource usage including pesticides, fertilizers and irrigation water.
•Implement designs which allow for stormwater to be reused on-site.
•Decrease sediment losses through sustainable erosion control.
•Implement consistent monitoring and auditing of systems.
•Implement all levels of the Stormwater Management Plan and Integrated Pest Management Plan.
•Become a leader in the research, development and successful implementation of sustainable stormwater management in the Pacific Northwest.


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:

SWMP Goals:
• Decrease impervious surfaces and/or increase stormwater surfaces which allow for water reuse on the
Portland State University campus, especially through methods which continue to allow urban density.
• Improve water quality, decrease water runoff peak rate, increase and improve natural habitat systems.
• Decrease resource usage including pesticides, fertilizers and irrigation water.
• Implement designs which allow for stormwater to be reused on-site.
• Decrease sediment losses through sustainable erosion control.
• Implement consistent monitoring and auditing of systems.
• Implement all levels of the Stormwater Management Plan and Integrated Pest Management Plan.
• Become a leader in the research, development and successful implementation of sustainable stormwater
management in the Pacific Northwest.


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

2 operational Rainwater Harvest Systems at ASRC and Engineering Building. 1 additional system at Epler Hall that captures rainwater but is no longer operable for rainwater re-use. A repair is under investigation.


Rainwater harvested directly and stored/used by the institution, performance year:
405,686 Gallons

A brief description of any rainwater filtering systems employed by the institution to treat water prior to release:

Bio Swales on 5th & 6th Aves and near Helen Gordon and in Stephen Elpler Courtyard. Eco Roofs at Broadway, Engineering Building, Native American Center and Blumel Bike Garage.


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

Ecoroofs are an aesthetically pleasing way to enhance the lifespan of a roof, reduce the building’s stormwater runoff, and reduce energy consumption by mitigating rooftop heat loss in cold weather and maintaining cooler indoor temperatures during warmer months. PSU has Ecoroofs on:

Broadway Building
Engineering Building
Native American Student & Community Center
Blumel Hall Bike Shelter
Cramer Hall

Ecoroof Research:
Ecoroof & solar panel research project, SRTC
Shattuck Hall Ecological Learning Plaza

The Broadway Housing Building sports an 18,000 sq. ft. ecoroof, the Native American Student Center features a native plants rooftop garden, and three small ecoroofs are located between Smith Center and Neuberger Hall atop a community gathering space, cob oven, and informational kiosk, respectively. PSU was awarded a 2005 BEST Award for the Broadway Housing Building's ecoroof.
http://www.pdx.edu/sustainability/water


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

Pervious pavers replace conventional asphalt or concrete paving, allowing stormwater to percolate through areas that would otherwise be impervious to the soil below. They reduce erosion, help filter pollutants, and help recharge groundwater.

Locations:
Native American Student & Community Center
Biology Research Greenhouses
ASRC 5th floor patio
Shattuck Hall Ecological Learning Plaza
Around planted trees throughout 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:
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A brief description of any bioswales on campus (vegetated, compost or stone):

Stormwater planters slow and filter runoff reducing the rate, quantity and pollutants before water flows back to the river/watershed. Planter locations:

12th & 4th Avenues
Montgomery Green Street
Urban Plaza
Science Research & Teaching Center (SRTC)
Walk of the Heroines

Bioswales contain plants that filter stormwater runoff, helping to remove oil, sediment, exhaust, dirt, and chemicals. Locations:

Helen Gordon
Stephen Epler Courtyard


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

From PSU's Stormwater Management Policy
...
h. Use of slow release fertilizers and/or carefully managed fertilizer applications timed to ensure maximum root uptake and minimal surface water runoff or leaching to groundwater.
i. Avoid the widespread application of broad spectrum pesticides by involving only purposeful and minimal application of pesticides, aimed at identified targeted species.
j. Coordinating pesticide application with irrigation practices to reduce runoff and leaching to groundwater.
k. Incorporating features into the design of fertilizer and pesticide storage, mixing and loading areas that are designed to prevent/minimize spillage.
l. Continually looking for alternatives to traditional pesticide use and stormwater practices, by seeking out natural methods that are also socially and economically acceptable.
m. Educating maintenance personnel about the need to maintain motor vehicles to prevent the accumulation of oil, grease and other fluids on impervious surfaces, where they might be conveyed to surface and ground waters by runoff, and the need to regularly collect and properly dispose of yard debris.
...
o. Vehicles may not be washed onsite. All vehicle washing must be done at a car wash connected to the City sanitary system.


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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