Overall Rating Silver - expired
Overall Score 56.75
Liaison Enid Cardinal
Submission Date July 29, 2013
Executive Letter Download

STARS v1.2

Rochester Institute of Technology
OP-23: Stormwater Management

Status Score Responsible Party
Complete 2.00 / 2.00 Enid Cardinal
Senior Sustainability Advisor to the President
Office of the President
"---" indicates that no data was submitted for this field

Does the institution have a policy, plan, and/or strategies to reduce stormwater runoff from new development projects? :
Yes

Does the institution have a policy, plan, and/or strategies to reduce stormwater runoff from ongoing campus operations? :
Yes

A brief description of the institution's stormwater management initiatives:

RIT’s campus is situated along the Genesee River and amidst almost 200 hundred acres of wetlands, making storm water management extremely important. A variety of stormwater management techniques are employed on campus. Older efforts relied heavily on retention basins. Newer projects include permeable pavement, green roofs, bioswales and rainwater collection cisterns.


The website URL where information about the institution's stormwater management initiatives, plan or policy is available:
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Does the institution have a living or vegetated roof?:
Yes

A brief description of the institution's living or vegetated roof:

The green roof on Engineering Technology Hall utilizes a tray system that includes a lightweight planting medium and a variety of sedums. A second, more intensive green roof can be found in the Global Village on top of the Cantina and Grill. The grasses on this roof are planted in soil, which also serves as added insulation for the building.


Does the institution have porous paving?:
Yes

A brief description of the institution's porous paving:

There are currently two installations of permeable pavement on campus. With the redesign of Gleason circle, pervious concrete was integrated into the design. The water percolating through this installation drains into the adjacent rain garden, providing an additional opportunity for water filtration.

The second is in lots G and H. When these lots were expanding during the summer of 2011, strips of porous asphalt were installed as part of the project to address stormwater.


Does the institution have retention ponds?:
Yes

A brief description of the institution's retention ponds:

As part of the Engineering Technology Hall building project, a naturally designed pond was constructed.
Designed according to the NYSDEC standards for a "wet pond" (P-2), the facility acts as a free form
detention/retention pond with an aquatic bench, forebays and deep pool areas. Its permanent pool and
shallow marsh areas create suitable growing conditions for emergent vegetation, micro-terrains designed
to provide stormwater pollutant removal opportunities and species habitats. The pool area is designed to
be maintained through the dry season and an island within the pond adds to the potential habitats for
wildlife at this site. Side slope gradients are minimal and vegetated.


Does the institution have stone swales?:
No

A brief description of the institution's stone swales:
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Does the institution have vegetated swales?:
Yes

A brief description of the institution's vegetated swales:

The renovation of Perkins Green Apartments presented an opportunity to use a landscaped eco swale to capture and treat the 1.2 million gallons of stormwater run-off coming from the building roofs and parking lots in the area each year. Integrated into the swale are varying sizes of rocks to aid in filtering particulates and a variety of hydrophilic plants (water-loving) many of which can be found in the natural wetlands on campus.


Does the institution employ any other technologies or strategies for stormwater management?:
Yes

A brief description of other technologies or strategies for stormwater management employed:

The roof on Engineering Technology Hall pitches inward directing rainwater to the center of the roof, through the vegetated portion of the roof and down to the basement into two 1500-gallon cisterns. That water is used to flush toilets in the restrooms and irrigate the landscaping outside.


Data source(s) and notes about the submission:
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