Overall Rating Gold - expired
Overall Score 66.33
Liaison Brad Spanbauer
Submission Date Jan. 29, 2018
Executive Letter Download

STARS v2.1

University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh
OP-23: Rainwater Management

Status Score Responsible Party
Complete 2.00 / 2.00 Brian Kermath
Sustainability Director
Sustainability Office
"---" 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:

UW Oshkosh is committed to reducing the amount of total suspended solids coming off of campus 40 percent by 2013 (using 2006 baseline data). This target is based on state rules; UW campuses are treated as permitted municipalities under state stormwater regulations. In February of 2007, UW Oshkosh submitted an application to receive a Wisconsin Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (WPDES) permit that governs the discharge of storm water from campus into the local storm water sewer system. The need for this permit developed in response to several Federal and State regulations pertaining to protection of clean water, including the Federal Clean Water Act 1972 and Wisconsin DNR Regulations NR 151, NR 216, and NR 116.

Prior to the enactment of the WPDES permit requirements, the University of Wisconsin Oshkosh had undertaken the following steps related to storm water management:
a. Developed a storm water management plan.
b. Performed routine semi – annual cleaning of parking lots.
c. Performed routine litter patrols of the campus.
d. Required the mandatory installation of silt fences around construction sites.

Mandated by state stormwater management guidelines.


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:

The main goals of this plan are to provide a guide to meet storm water regulations for the current state of the University of Wisconsin Oshkosh campus as well as proposed growth. The regulations that will be of concern for the UW Oshkosh campus are NR 116, NR 151, and NR 216.

NR 116 governs future development in floodplain areas.

NR 151 governs storm water requirements for future building projects including reconstruction projects and new development.

Construction of bio-filters throughout existing parking lots, sidewalk areas and roofs.

Construction of drainage swales with native vegetation to route drainage instead of having direct connections to storm sewer from impervious surfaces.

Because of the large areas of green space, the most cost effective BMP’s would be biofilters/bioretention devices, rain gardens and drainage swales to treat water instead of ponds, porous pavements, and proprietary devices to meet the 20 percent and 40 percent TSS removal requirements. However, these BMP’s may be a viable option for future development governed by NR 151 requirements.


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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