Overall Rating Silver - expired
Overall Score 58.54
Liaison Jay Price
Submission Date March 2, 2016
Executive Letter Download

STARS v2.0

University of Tennessee at Knoxville
OP-27: Rainwater Management

Status Score Responsible Party
Complete 2.00 / 2.00 Preston Jacobsen
Sustainability Manager
Facilities Services
"---" indicates that no data was submitted for this field

Does the institution use Low Impact Development (LID) practices as a matter of policy or standard practice to reduce rainwater/stormwater runoff volume and improve outgoing water quality for new construction, major renovation, and other projects?:
Yes

A brief description of the institution’s Low Impact Development (LID) practices:

The Small MS4 permit the university holds from the city requires that all new development projects must retain and manage for reuse the first inch of rainwater in a 72 hour period, with no runoff permitted. Additionally, any rainwater discharged by the university must be treated to remove at least 80% of suspended solids.


Has the institution adopted a rainwater/stormwater management policy, plan, or strategies that mitigate the rainwater runoff impacts of ongoing campus operations through the use of green infrastructure? :
Yes

A brief description of the institution’s rainwater/stormwater management policy, plan, and/or strategies for ongoing campus operations:

The University of Tennessee, Knoxville, pursuant with the requirements for the MS4 permit, has a policy to retain and manage for reuse rainwater, as well as treating any rainwater that gets discharged to remove at least 80% of suspended solids. Additionally, the university has a policy that permits only very specific types of water to be discharged to the storm drain, prohibiting any water with pollutants of contaminants from being discharged. Common methods used to achieve these goals include cisterns for storage and reuse, bioswales, permeable pavement, stormwater treatment wetlands, and water quality units that remove at least 80% of suspended solids.


A brief description of any rainwater harvesting employed by the institution:

The University of Tennessee currently has one 22,000 gallon cistern in use at the Haslam Cistern at Haslam Music Center. For every 1000 square feet of roof, this cistern collects 263 gallons per inch of rain water. Once collected, the rainwater is used for irrigation. Three more 7000 gallon cisterns are also currently under construction, also for irrigation use. These cisterns will also have water quality units for overflow that will remove 80% suspended solids.


Rainwater harvested directly and stored/used by the institution, performance year:
22,000 Gallons

A brief description of any rainwater filtering systems employed by the institution to treat water prior to release:

Two parking lots on UTK campus are equipped with a holding tank and filtration systems designed to remove 80% of total suspended solids.


A brief description of any living or vegetated roofs on campus:

The University currently has 10,461 square feet of Green Roof managed by students and our Storm Water Coordinator.


A brief description of any porous (i.e. permeable) paving employed by the institution:

There are over 37,400 square feet of permeable pavers on UTK's campus. One of the largest paved surfaces is around Gate 21- the main gate to UT's football stadium- to improve water drainage. The pedestrian bridge pavers in the center of campus also act as detention to capture stormwater and slow the rate of discharge.


A brief description of any downspout disconnection employed by the institution:

One of the buildings on campus has a disconnected downspout that leads to a rain garden on campus.


A brief description of any rain gardens on campus:

The Environmental Landscape Lab has a rain garden measuring 380 square feet. UT has also received a grant to install four more rain gardens on campus before March 2015.


A brief description of any stormwater retention and/or detention ponds employed by the institution:

The UT Botanic Gardens and Stormwater Management are currently in the process of building a stormwater treatment wetland.


A brief description of any bioswales on campus (vegetated, compost or stone):

Two areas on campus include vegetated bioswales as part of a stormwater management system: Cherokee Farms parking areas and the intramural fields on Sutherland.


A brief description of any other rainwater management technologies or strategies employed by the institution:

The Stormwater Office has published a Public Information plan that outlines methods of getting information about proper rainwater management out to the public. Futhermore, they have installed 38 Silva Cells total with many more to come.


The website URL where information about the institution’s rainwater management initiatives, plan or policy is available:
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.