| Overall Rating | Silver - expired |
|---|---|
| Overall Score | 46.00 |
| Liaison | Lisa Mitten |
| Submission Date | March 4, 2015 |
| Executive Letter | Download |
State University of New York at New Paltz
OP-27: Rainwater Management
| Status | Score | Responsible Party |
|---|---|---|
|
2.00 / 2.00 |
Lisa
Mitten Campus Sustainability Coordinator Office of Campus Sustainability |
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?:
A brief description of the institution’s Low Impact Development (LID) practices:
SUNY New Paltz's Site and Landscape Master Plan calls for low impact development practices. The following related goals, strategies, and practices are included in the Executive Summary:
Enhancing Environmental Stewardship
By implementing this plan, the college will enhance its unique connection to its region and sense of place and become an even stronger steward of the environment. For example, indigenous plant species will visually link the campus to the surrounding woodland, help reduce the amount of maintenance required and conserve water. By reducing the amount of impervious area within the campus, less run-off will be created. Where there are large amounts of pavement, in parking lots and along the Concourse for example, visually-appealing bioswales will retain storm water on campus and recharge the local ground water. For more information, visit http://www.newpaltz.edu/construction/facilities_master_plan.pdf
Low impact development practices, especially green infrastructure, have been implemented across campus in new construction, major renovation, and site improvements projects.
Impervious areas, especially parking lots towards the center of campus, have been demolished and replaced with new construction projects or site improvements with less impermeable surface area. Impervious parking lots that do not incorporate green infrastructure practices have been replaced with parking lots at new locations incorporating green infrastructure practices such as the permeable pavement parking lot at Route 32 and the Lenape Hall parking lot with six bio-retention areas and a dry swale. The Excelsior Concourse site improvement project significantly reduced the amount of impervious area. The Wooster Building and Plattekill parking lots (now the New Science Building with bio-retention areas and significantly increased permeable surface area) have been replaced with the permeable pavement lot at Route 32. Half of the parking lot by the Athletics Center has been transformed into Ridgeview Hall with multiple bio-retention areas. These parking spaces have moved to the Lenape Hall parking lot with six bio-retention areas.
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? :
A brief description of the institution’s rainwater/stormwater management policy, plan, and/or strategies for ongoing campus operations:
The following low impact development green infrastructure practices have been implemented or are currently under construction in recent new construction and major renovation, and other projects:
- Permeable pavement at the Route 32 parking lot
- Rainwater diffuser at the Route 32 parking lot
- Vegetated swale at the ponds
- Riparian buffers at the ponds
- Bio-retention areas at Ridgeview Hall
- Bio-retention areas at the New Science Building
- Bio-retention areas with dry swales at the Lenape Hall parking lot
- 1,000 gallon rainwater cistern at LeFevre Hall for landscape irrigation
- 12,500 gallon rainwater cistern at the Wooster Building for flushing toilets and urinals
- Two water quality vortices at Hasbrouck Quad
- One water quality vortex at the New Artificial Turf Field by Lenape Hall
- One water quality vortex at the new Transportation Hub
A brief description of any rainwater harvesting employed by the institution:
SUNY New Paltz has constructed one 1,000 gallon rainwater cistern at LeFevre Hall for landscape irrigation and one 12,500 gallon rainwater cistern at the Wooster Building for flushing toilets and urinals. The rainwater cistern at LeFevre Hall was complete in the fall of 2014.
Rainwater harvested directly and stored/used by the institution, performance year:
A brief description of any rainwater filtering systems employed by the institution to treat water prior to release:
A brief description of any living or vegetated roofs on campus:
The campus is assessing the cost and feasibility of a green roof at the Haggerty Administration Building and Student Union Building terrace. (The terrace is a roof).
A brief description of any porous (i.e. permeable) paving employed by the institution:
The campus constructed a permeable pavement parking lot at Route 32.
A brief description of any downspout disconnection employed by the institution:
A brief description of any rain gardens on campus:
Six bio-retention areas have been constructed at the Lenape Hall parking lot. It is connected to a dry swale. Multiple bio-retention areas are under construction at Ridgeview Hall and the New Science Building.
A brief description of any stormwater retention and/or detention ponds employed by the institution:
A large stormwater retention pond was constructed by Esopus Hall as part of the Athletics and Wellness Center construction project. In the 1990s, the chain of ponds at the center of campus was enlarged to store more water. These ponds are a part of the Saw Mill Brook.
A brief description of any bioswales on campus (vegetated, compost or stone):
The parking lot by Lenape Hall has several vegetated bioretention areas that channel water into a chain of dry swales at the west end of the parking lot. Rainwater that falls on LeFevre Hall, Crispell Hall, and the surrounding areas is channeled into a vegetated bioswale. Excess water flows into the pond.
A brief description of any other rainwater management technologies or strategies employed by the institution:
Hurricane Irene and Tropical Storm Lee caused flooding and $1+ million dollars of damage at the Haggerty Administration Building and Student Union Building. The site was regraded to prevent water from flowing into these buildings. Culverts were enlarged to increase the volume of rainwater flow into the ponds rather than other surfaces.
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:
With funding from a grant from the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, Professor David Richardson and students from multiple departments developed this video highlighting the campus' green infrastructure practices. http://vimeo.com/105768848
With funding from a grant from the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, Professor David Richardson and students from multiple departments developed this video highlighting the campus' green infrastructure practices. http://vimeo.com/105768848
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.