| Overall Rating | Silver - expired |
|---|---|
| Overall Score | 56.10 |
| Liaison | Steve Mital |
| Submission Date | Feb. 25, 2011 |
| Executive Letter | Download |
University of Oregon
OP-23: Stormwater Management
| Status | Score | Responsible Party |
|---|---|---|
|
2.00 / 2.00 |
Steve
Mital Office of Sustainability Director Finance & Administration |
Does the institution have a policy, plan, and/or strategies to reduce stormwater runoff from new development projects? :
Does the institution have a policy, plan, and/or strategies to reduce stormwater runoff from ongoing campus operations? :
A brief description of the institution's stormwater management initiatives:
The UO Sustainable Development Plan states that, "All development will protect and augment natural drainage and
will treat storm-water runoff on site to the maximum extent possible." It lists seven possible strategies for achieving this.
The website URL where information about the institution's stormwater management initiatives, plan or policy is available:
Does the institution have a living or vegetated roof?:
A brief description of the institution's living or vegetated roof:
UO's Lillis Hall has the first green roof on campus. It includes a roof bed holding drought-tolerant plants in three inches of soil. In the summer, it absorbs sunlight, reducing heat-gain and extending the life of the roof system. In the winter, the plants reduce the rate of rain runoff into the city storm water system, and act as a natural filter for water that does run off.
In addition, the UO's Many Nation's Longhouse has a “living roof” that was planted in 2005. The canopy features a variety of native plants and grasses, many of which are drought tolerant and have been grouped together to represent wetlands, prairie and other land types.
Does the institution have porous paving?:
A brief description of the institution's porous paving:
1) In 2005, the Jordan Schnitzer Museum of Art benefited from the addition of a new parking lot constructed with permeable paving. This particular paving material allows rain water to return to the earth in a natural cycle that is cleaner than going through pipes, which eventually channel runoff into the Willamette River. University Planning has announced that it plans to introduce this kind of paving throughout campus when opportunities arise.
2) The surface parking lot north of the Ford Alumni Center uses permeable pavement.
Does the institution have retention ponds?:
A brief description of the institution's retention ponds:
Does the institution have stone swales?:
A brief description of the institution's stone swales:
A small stone swale is located in in McKenzie Hall’s lower courtyard.
Does the institution have vegetated swales?:
A brief description of the institution's vegetated swales:
The Millrace area of campus, containing a waterway between Franklin Boulevard and the Facilities Services buildings, has a vegetated bioswale that cleanses and absorbs storm water from Franklin Boulevard and nearby parking lots before it reaches the Millrace's water.
There are at least five additional small vegetated swales on campus.
Does the institution employ any other technologies or strategies for stormwater management?:
A brief description of other technologies or strategies for stormwater management employed:
UO's leased White Stag building in Portland has a 10,000-gallon storm water retention tank designed to control the facility's runoff. The collected rainwater feeds low-flow toilet fixtures that reduce the building's water use.
Also, the UO's Outdoor Program "Barn" uses a rainwater catchment system to collect water for washing their vans and equipment, and also for non-potable uses in the bathrooms. The system involves large above ground cisterns that store water collected from the roof. The water is then plumbed to a spigot outside of the building, and into the bathrooms. The catchment system has multiple benefits: it reduces demand on the municipal water supply, allows for the storage of seasonal rains for use during drier weather, and saves energy. This system was funded in part by a grant from the Eugene Water and Electric Board (EWEB).
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.