University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
IN-3: Innovation 3

Exemplary Performance: Stormwater Management The University operates its own stormwater management program under a National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) Municipal Separate Storm Sewer System (MS4) Phase II permit. UNC stormwater staff conduct activities that meet the six minimum measures of the NPDES Phase II permit plus other activities that meet regulatory, infrastructure management, and sustainability goals. The UNC Stormwater Program includes: Illicit Discharge Detection and Elimination: UNC’s Environment Health and Safety department systematically looks for pollution (illicit discharges) entering surface water. This is accomplished by water quality testing and visual inspection of outfalls, inlets, load docks, dumpsters, and other possible pollution sources. Public Involvement: UNC’s Environment Health and Safety department has a number of public education and outreach programs to further stormwater education and provides educational materials to students, faculty, and staff. Some of these programs include drain marking sessions with students, volunteer stream clean up days, and educational seminars open to the entire UNC community. Construction Site Erosion and Sedimentation Control: UNC’s Environment Health and Safety department maintains design guidelines for erosion and sediment control; reviews construction documents to evaluate the erosion and sediment controls planned; works with the design team to obtain permits; visits construction sites to educate contractors; and conducts periodic site inspections. Post-construction Stormwater: UNC Energy Services’ stormwater engineers maintain design guidelines for structural stormwater management practices; review the drawings and calculations for planned projects to ensure compliance with state and local regulations; conduct construction site inspection to ensure proper installation; map the as-built information; conduct annual inspections; identify retrofit possibilities for enhanced water quality treatment; and assist the Grounds department in determining needed preventive and one-time maintenance. The University has over 180 post-construction structural stormwater management practices including green roofs, bioretention, permeable pavement, cisterns, ponds, and wetlands. Stormwater Maintenance System: UNC Grounds visits each inlet, manhole, and stormwater treatment practice a minimum of once per year. These visits are scheduled preventive maintenance work orders that are automatically generated by work management software. Grounds maintenance may include hand removal or pumping out of accumulated sediment, trash, or organic matter. Grounds also uses a street sweeper to clean permeable pavement parking lots at least quarterly. Stormwater System Condition Evaluations: UNC Energy Services is systematically evaluating the structural stormwater system, including stormwater treatment practices, pipes, inlets, and outfalls to determine the condition and need for repairs or replacements. Like towns and cities across the country, the University is addressing crumbled infrastructure originally installed in the 1940's-1960's, and as the nation's oldest public university, some of the infrastructure at UNC dates as far back as the 1800s. Stormwater Retrofitting: UNC is identifying potential sites to improve the water quality in the stormwater runoff from existing development. Retrofits include upgrades of existing stormwater treatment practices and new stormwater treatment practices. Retrofits that reduce the nitrogen and phosphorus discharged to the impaired lake downstream are particularly important. A large number of projects have been identified as part of Stormwater Master Plan work being done by consultants. UNC stormwater staff add to the project list, which is being used to identify cost and seek funding.