Overall Rating Bronze - expired
Overall Score 36.07
Liaison Christopher Williams
Submission Date Jan. 31, 2020
Executive Letter Download

STARS v2.1

University of Delaware
OP-23: Rainwater Management

Status Score Responsible Party
Complete 2.00 / 2.00
"---" indicates that no data was submitted for this field

Which of the following best describes the institution’s approach to rainwater management?:
Comprehensive policies, plans or guidelines that require LID practices for all new projects

A brief description of the institution’s green infrastructure and LID practices:

UD takes stormwater runoff very seriously, as most of our campus drains into a groundwater refresh zone and discharges to surface water with a downstream drinking water purveyor. It is standard practice on campus to design rain gardens, bio-swales and other natural features into our landscaping for Low Impact Development benefits. UD builds all new buildings to LEED Silver standards (including our Harker ISE Labs, Caesar-Rodney Residence & Dining Hall, and the South Academy Residence Hall), which include multiple green roofs and LID landscaping practices. We are also investigating the potential benefits of regenerative stormwater management for current and future stormwater management projects, with the hopes that such practices become standard practice or policy. UD also has a long tradition of laying brick walking paths instead of using concrete wherever possible; some of which are permeable. UD also installed permeable artificial turf fields in several areas that use underground Stormtech® chambers to manage the stormwater. These turf fields serve students who frequently recreate there and this reduces chemical use and mud runoff from lawns that could not be adequately maintained.

The University of Delaware has also partnered with the City of Newark to develop a storm water management program in response to the Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) MS4, National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) requirements. The program is focused in six major areas:
Pollution Prevention/Good Housekeeping,
Public Participation and Involvement,
Public Education and Outreach,
Construction Site Runoff Control,
Post Construction Site Runoff Control,
Illicit Discharge Detection.


A copy of the institution’s rainwater management policy, plan, and/or guidelines:
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A brief description of the institution’s rainwater management policy, plan, and/or guidelines that supports the responses above:

UD employs a number of strategies to manage our stormwater runoff impacts, including:
- Incorporating LID designs into new or renovated landscaping (e.g. rain gardens) explicitly to manage stormwater runoff.

- Choosing plants in our landscaping that contribute to stormwater management through water uptake during rain events, drought tolerance (reduced irrigation needs and runoff potential), nutrient or pollutant uptake, and other beneficial qualities.

- Using permeable pavement wherever possible, including brick walkways instead of concrete, and permeable artificial turf where lawns cannot be maintained.

- Creation and management of wetlands in appropriate areas to manage stormwater


The website URL where information about the programs or initiatives is available:
Additional documentation to support the submission:
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Data source(s) and notes about the submission:

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