| Overall Rating | Gold |
|---|---|
| Overall Score | 65.17 |
| Liaison | Lisa Mitten |
| Submission Date | March 2, 2023 |
State University of New York at New Paltz
OP-22: Rainwater Management
| Status | Score | Responsible Party |
|---|---|---|
|
2.00 / 2.00 |
Lisa
Mitten Campus Sustainability Coordinator Office of Campus Sustainability |
Which of the following best describes the institution’s approach to rainwater management?:
A brief description of the institution’s green infrastructure and LID practices:
SUNY New Paltz's Design and Construction Campus Standards: Sustainability Goals and Guidelines specify under "site considerations" that "all projects that impact existing site shall incorporate green infrastructure such as rain gardens and bioswales."
In addition, the Facilities 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 extent of impervious areas 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 stormwater on campus and recharge the local groundwater. For more information, https://www.newpaltz.edu/media/construction/pdfs/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.
A copy of the institution’s rainwater management policy, plan, and/or guidelines:
A brief description of the institution’s rainwater management policy, plan, and/or guidelines that supports the responses above:
Low-impact development practices including green infrastructure are required through New York State Governor Kathy Hochul's Executive Order 22. For more information, visit: https://www.governor.ny.gov/executive-order/no-22-leading-example-directing-state-agencies-adopt-sustainability-and
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:
- Green roof at Haggerty Plaza deck
- Permeable pavement at the Route 32 parking lot, north side
- Permeable pavement at the Route 32 parking lot, south side
- 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 Science Hall
- Bio-retention area at the Engineering Innovation Hub
- Bio-retention areas with dry swales at the Lenape Hall parking lot
- 1,000 gallon rainwater cistern at Shawangunk Hall and Minnewaska Hall for landscape irrigation
- 12,500 gallon rainwater cistern at the Wooster Building for flushing toilets and urinals
- Two water quality vortices at the Peregrine Quad
- One water quality vortex at the Turf Field adjacent to Lenape Hall
- One water quality vortex at the Transportation Hub
Website URL where information about the institution’s green infrastructure and LID practices is available:
Additional documentation to support the submission:
Data source(s) and notes about the submission:
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.