University of Pittsburgh
OP-22: Rainwater Management

The University of Pittsburgh completed its Stormwater Master Plan in January 2021; the document is awaiting final approval by Administration. Pitt’s Stormwater Masterplan sets forth stormwater requirements (including many sustainable and green "above ground" recommendations for all parts of our Pittsburgh campus). Given that Pitt’s Pittsburgh campus has a wide variety of specific conditions (hillside, dense urban, or green space) recommendations vary widely based on their context. All Pitt campus building and infrastructure projects moving forward will be required to abide by the recommendations in the Pitt Stormwater Master Plan and tailor them to each project. Additionally, all Pitt building and infrastructure projects currently in design have already taken the new recommendations and incorporated them into their scope of work.

2019 summary highlighting some of the stormwater strategies at play for projects on Pitt’s Pittsburgh campus: https://www.sustainable.pitt.edu/building-strategies/

2021 Bigelow Boulevard Reopening Transformation, including above and below ground stormwater amenities: https://www.sustainable.pitt.edu/bigelow-boulevard-transformation/

Due to urban nature, and large topographical differences of Pitt’s Pittsburgh campus, rainwater management is difficult at best. However, the recent completion of the University’s Campus Stormwater Master Plan provides direction for all future projects to follow. With the introduction of a dedicated rainwater capture and reuse system focused on certain areas of campus (and connected across it), Pitt will be able to collect rainwater and direct it to two of our central utility plants for reuse. The University will then store, treat, and reuse as much rainwater as we can in our chiller plants. Once the rainwater capture and reuse system is complete, we will collect and reuse between 7 and 9 million gallons of rainwater per year. In zones of campus not able to be served by this new rainwater capture and reuse networks, we will meet all local code requirements, while improving on them with strategies laid out in the Stormwater Master Plan.

All University rainwater management strategies will be deployed while considering the Pitt Sustainability Plan’s goals from both the “Landscape & Ecology” and “Water Systems” impact areas:

• Reduce impervious surfaces 20% by 2030 (from 2017 baseline).
• Divert 25% of stormwater from remaining impervious surfaces to rain gardens, bioswales, rainwater harvesting tanks, and/or other reuse and green stormwater infrastructure solutions by 2030.
• Increase tree canopy 50% by 2030 (from 2017 baseline)
• Replace 15% of lawn area with indigenous and adapted plants by 2030 (from 2017 baseline).
• Adhere to Pitt’s Sustainable Landscape Design Guidelines in all new landscape designs.
• Maintain at least 75% of landscaped areas in accordance with Northeast Organic Farming Association (NOFA) Standards for Organic Land Care by 2024.

While the University of Pittsburgh's Campus Stormwater Master Plan is not yet a public document, a comprehensive stormwater strategy is outlined in the Pitt's February 2021 Institutional Master Plan (currently under review by the City of Pittsburgh.

Generic Pitt IMP website: https://www.campusplan.pitt.edu/imp

Direct link to February 2020 Pitt IMP (Under Review by City of Pitts burgh): https://www.campusplan.pitt.edu/sites/default/files/PittIMP-SUBMISSION%20FOR%20PLANNING%20COMMISSION%20REVIEW%20FEB%202021.pdf

2019 Pitt projects summary highlighting stormwater strategies at play for projects on Pitt’s Pittsburgh campus: https://www.sustainable.pitt.edu/building-strategies/

2021 Bigelow Boulevard Reopening Transformation, including above and below ground stormwater amenities: https://www.sustainable.pitt.edu/bigelow-boulevard-transformation/

Pitt's Benefit of Trees webpage: https://www.sustainable.pitt.edu/trees/